Quartet Knight
by Blunderland
Summary: Will you really risk a life, in favor of another? ***Warning: suicidal themes and hints of depression***
1. Chapter 1

**Quartet Knight**

It was a thing he would do every day.

From his job, he would drive down a path he knew too well, all while making a stop at a flower shop to purchase whatever he deemed fanciful. Sometimes he would persuade his blonde bandmate to accompany him on the journey but more often than not, he would find himself companionless. It never bothered him though.

Afterall, he was Reiji Kotobuki and was known to be a burst of sunshine in gloomy weather.

The brunet got out of his little green car and skipped – yes, skipped – towards a house he often visited while humming his song, Dekkai Temptation. He rang the doorbell and patiently waited until a scientific-looking man opened the door for him.

"Hey Professor!"

"Ah Reiji! Good to see you!" The man greeted. "Please, come in. Are those for him?"

Reiji grinned. "Hai~! These caught my eye! Sunflowers brighten up any room!"

The brunet waved the sunflowers around, the other male chuckling at his childish behavior.

"You know, those'll die after a few days. There's hardly any sunlight in his room." The older male began.

"Yeah, but that only means that I'll have to visit again to replace the flowers!"

The two males laughed. The professor led them to a door downstairs and opened it, revealing a white room filled with scientific contraptions and whatnot. In the middle of the room was a bed occupied by a sleeping figure whose very sight made Reiji smile wistfully.

"Still no sign of him waking up?" The idol asked.

"I'm still waiting." The professor replied. "I'll give you some time."

The professor exited the room. Reiji stared at the embodiment of his painful regret – an idol in a deep, death-like slumber.

He was the one – the only one – who had the ability to bring tears to the brunet's eye. He was the only person capable of making Reiji feel sorrow yet at the same time, he was the very reason why the clown-sempai became the way he was now: happy, cheerful, and always smiling. The person was also like that before he became an agonizing spectacle. He was both the cloud and the silver lining in Reiji's blue sky.

The brown-haired idol approached the figure. He placed the sunflowers inside a near-by vase before he sat down next to the sleeping male.

Reiji held the other's hand and smiled.

"Hey, Aine…"

* * *

It was a quiet evening.

A tall, elegant male who went by the name of Camus was leaning against the railings of the balcony. Every now and then, he would take a sip from his glass of wine while admiring the beauty of the cold night.

"Such a night reminds me of Permafrost." The blonde noble said to no one in particular. "Its elegance can only be appreciated by those who truly understand it."

"Camus, who are you talking to?"

The count frowned as he directed his attention to the person who interrupted his monologue.

"Aijima…I thought I told you to go to bed." The count said with a glare.

Cecil pouted childishly. "You're still up. Why do I have to sleep early?"

Camus scoffed at his kouhai's behavior. "Fool. Do you not have a photoshoot tomorrow? You need to be well rested in order to flawlessly carry out what is expected of you. It is your duty as an idol."

"But Camus – "

"No buts! You can't use your title as prince against me. Now go to bed!"

Cecil let out a whine before taking his leave. Just as the prince left, lights and the sound of engine disturbed the tranquility of the night, much to Camus' annoyance. The blonde looked down to see who was responsible and saw no other than his fellow Quartet Night, Reiji.

Camus called his bandmate. "Kotobuki! You arrived late again."

"Ah, Myu-chan! You're still up?" Reiji responded sheepishly.

"You went to visit him again, correct?" Camus exclaimed, the edge in his voice waning. Upon seeing the brunet nod, the blonde said, "Meet me at the tea room. We shall talk there."

The prankster and the earl spent an hour conversing. One might say that it was a rare sight for the two to be talking normally without the noble asking the other to shut up.

"He's always so cheerful. You would never expect him to try to take his own life."

Camus looked at his companion. "You were no exception."

The brunet chuckled softly. "If I had known, I could've made it in time. I could've saved him."

Tension and silence reigned in the atmosphere. The eldest of the quartet grimaced at the thought of his shortcoming that guilt dwelled at the pit of his stomach.

"It wasn't your fault." The count stated in an attempt to console Reiji.

"I feel like it was." The brunet exclaimed, despair evident in his voice. "If only I answered my phone back then…maybe…maybe I…"

Camus listened to the incoherent mumblings of his companion. As much as the count wanted to reprimand the other for his inability to form proper sentences at the moment, the pitiful look on Reiji made Camus bite his tongue.

"I often asked myself, if travelling back in time was possible, if I could rewind the past,…will I be able to save him?"

The Permafrost noble had never seen the clown-sempai looked so…messed up. The brunet's cheery demeanor had been replaced by a low-spirited one that nobody would ever expect from the prankster of the group. The eldest sempai continued to pour his heart out and whether it was the alcohol talking or Reiji was really depressed, Camus decided it was high time the other went to sleep.

"You should head to your room. It's already late." Camus exclaimed. "Goodnight, Kotobuki."

The brunet managed to flash him a thankful smile before getting up and groggily making his was to his room. The blonde royal let out a sigh before he, too, took his leave.

"No doubt you will be able to save him if time were to spin in reverse, Kotobuki." Camus thought aloud. "But the real question is,"

 _Will you really risk a life, in favor of another_?

* * *

 **When you rise up from the dead, there are actually several obstacles you have to encounter. I got bored and decided to take a nap. LOL. HELLO MY DEAR READERS! I AM TEMPORARILY BACK WITH A NEW STORY~! Teehee...this is the first time I wrote a genre like this so yay~! :D OOooohhh I wonder what the last sentence meant? Ohonhonhon ;3 /shot. I'm working on its other chapters so expect random oneshots (Ai,Syo,AixSyo) to keep you guys entertained. Thanks to the peeps that reviewed/favorited/followed Behind Silk Curtains :D See ya~!**

 **Ps: Laptop being fixed. Yay! :D**

 **Pss: It might take a while. Aww... :(**

 **PSS: SHOUTA AOI insert_heart**


	2. Chapter 2

_Where am I?_

Salty blue liquid and specks of light filled his vision. Nothing was within reach and only the sound of his thoughts was heard, along with a few bubbles.

 _Am I dreaming?_

He tried to move his arms but to no avail. It seemed like his entire body refused to listen to him as he continued to be dragged down by an unseen force. Remarkably, what he felt was quite the contrary: he was floating and elated.

 _What is this?_

The feeling of elation was soon replaced by panic as water washed down his throat. His arms that weren't moving a while ago gained mobility. He thrashed around and struggled to surface for air but his efforts were in vain.

 _Am I drowning?_

The more he tried to swim going up, the farther the surface went. He could feel himself getting weaker by the second. Slowly, he felt himself giving up as his eyes grew weary. He was close to the surface yet at the moment he could've risen, his body gave up and his eyes shut. Then,…

 _Am I dying?_

Everything went black.

* * *

The sun hit Reiji's face like a light in a dark tunnel – blinding yet at the same time, a relief. The brown-haired male rubbed his eyes and yawned. He stretched his arms up while he cocked his head from side to side before he opened his grey orbs.

He was greeted by another pair of eyes which seemed to be staring deeply into his soul all while being too close for comfort.

Reiji let out a manly shriek.

"Geez man, no need to kill my ears."

It took a moment for Reiji to recognize the voice. "K-Kei?"

The man crouching infront of him sighed. "You sound like you haven't seen me since forever. I only left for 30 minutes. You okay?"

Reiji was lost for words. Why did Kei visit him out of the blue? He knew too well that the other had been hostile to him after Aine's failed suicide attempt. In fact his other friend, Hibiki, was also ill towards him. Those two blamed him for what happened to Aine and Reiji swore that they would rather eat dirt than communicate with him.

This was new.

"You going to stay there? You're going to get grass all over your uniform."

True enough, Reiji was wearing his uniform back when he was **A STUDENT**. Furthermore, he inspected his surroundings and realized he was at the maze garden of Saotome Gakuen for who-knows-what reason. Last he checked, he was told by Camus to go to sleep and he was heading to his room. Was he too drunk that his feet led him here? The bewildered brunet abruptly stood up causing Kei to look at him with concern.

"Are you okay? You're acting strange, well, _stranger_." Kei pointed out. "You wanna head back to the dorm? I'll accompany you."

Shocked and confused by the events, the clown sempai nodded. They headed back to the dorms with Kei talking whatever came to mind, mostly about composing, but only to fall into deaf ears as his voice was drowned by Reiji's ocean of thoughts.

' _What is going on? Why is Kei here? I never thought I'd ever see him. Why am I in my school uniform? It's not Halloween. I wouldn't wear this for Halloween!'_

"Oi Reiji!"

Said male snapped back to reality. "H-Huh?"

"What's with you zoning out? I was asking you where your dorm keys are." Kei began.

"My dorm keys? Uh…"

Kei sighed. "If you're sick we – "

"I'm fine! I-I am fine!" Reiji retorted.

"Hmm…I'm not really convinced. Ah, you know what? I'll just call him."

Kei took out his phone and dialled a number. Reiji quirked an eye brow on who the other was talking to, but didn't question for he assumed the person on the other line to be either one of his kouhais which led to more questions. The brunet was still stunned by the situation he was currently in. For starters, why was he in his uniform and how did his friend managed to get his Otoyan's or Toki's number?

"Good. I'll bring him over. Ja." With that, Kei ended the call. "C'mon, let's get going. You're lucky your roommate's at the dorm right now. Geez, you seriously forgot where you placed your keys?" The teen added in disbelief.

Their trip to the room was silent. Kei would occasionally glance at his companion who was obviously in a world of his own. Reiji was unsure why, but he was led into his old room back when he wasn't a sempai.

"We're here." Kei knocked on the door. "Get some rest, okay?"

Reiji nodded. He was yet to figure out what was happening and for sure he needed lots of rest.

Perhaps this was just a dream. He discreetly pinched himself; it wasn't.

The door was opened by an all too familiar face. "Thanks for bringing him over, Kei. I got worried when you said he was zoning out. So unlike him…"

Reiji frozed. All that surrounded him seemed to have disappeared: the sounds, the hallways, the rooms, Kei…everything!

All except for one.

Standing infront of him was a brilliant idol who tried to kill himself years ago but failed.

An idol supposedly in a coma and Reiji's bestfriend…

Aine Kisaragi.

* * *

 **DUM DUM DUM! Hahahaha! Hello dear readers! Have you enjoyed this chapter so far? Reiji is a student again and ohoho...Aine is here - and not in a frickin coma! What the hell is happening!? O_o**

 **I'll shut up now. Lol. Anyway, I haven't played the game (me is sad boohoo) and even if I could, I wouldn't understand a single thing T^T Aine's, Kei's, and Hibiki's personality will be based on the game reviews I've read and how I perceived them to be so excuse them if they're OOC or something ._. Geez, I was really hoping Aine will be brought up in the anime but nope! *pouts***

 **I hope you guys like this so far. Leave a love letter (review) mkay~? Until the next chapter :)**


	3. Chapter 3

"A-Aine!?"

The feeling of awe, sadness, relief, and just a hint of fear seemed to have mixed together causing Reiji to pale and for his temperature to drop down by a degree. Aine was believed to be in a death-like slumber, and certainly **not** talking and moving about. Furthermore, he was in Saotome Gakuen and judging by the uniform he wore, was still an S-class student along with Kei.

This was bullshit, Reiji thought. The 3 of them debuted years ago and were definitely idols though Aine tried to take his life. There was absolutely no way the brunet was thrown back to the past.

But not that he never wished.

The cyan-haired boy turned to his friend. "Reiji! Kei wasn't kidding when he said you were acting strange. You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Perhaps he did. Reiji was ready to stumble down as he stared at the other with wide grey eyes, all sense of rationality slowly slipping away from him.

"You're…you're…"

In a matter of seconds, Reiji's mind went blank and he fell down on the floor with a panicked Aine calling out his name as the brunet's last memory.

 _This is what you wanted, right?_

* * *

Reiji woke up and found himself lying comfortably on a bed. He had the weirdest dream: Aine wasn't in a coma. In fact, his bestfriend was well and breathing. Furthermore, the sempai found himself back in the past with Kei talking to him casually without any real insult.

Perhaps he overworked himself, like his perfectionist kouhai.

He sat up and the first thing he noticed was a head of cyan hair poking out of the chair facing away from him.

The brunet grinned. "Ai-Ai! What are you doing here?"

"What's with the weird nickname, Reiji? Geez, you really must be sick."

Reiji turned to the source and felt his mind gradually go blank again. He was expecting for his silver-haired bandmate, Ranmaru, to be the one walking out of the bathroom but was proven wrong when a different face came out, a face belonging to Kei.

"That's nothing new. Reiji likes to give nicknames."

The cyan-haired teen stood up and revealed himself to be Aine. Reiji's vision began to blur and he felt himself getting dizzy. The poor sempai slowly laid back down, a muddled expression evident on his face.

 _This dream seems too real._

"What did you do to him, Aine? He looks like a terrified dog everytime he sees you!" Kei stated.

"How should I know!? A-And he looks like that when he sees you too!" Aine exclaimed to his defence.

The two argued for a while – which Reiji would have found hilarious if he weren't in this situation – until Kei had to leave.

"Whatever. I still have stuff to attend to. Ugh, good luck with him. You're gonna need it." Kei said before exiting the room, leaving Reiji alone with Aine. The duo stared at each other for a while before Aine made his way and sat on the bed beside his friend.

"You okay? You're acting funny." Aine said, his voice laced with concern. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

Exactly what should Reiji tell him – that he was supposed to be in a coma? That he tried to kill himself by means of drowning? That Reiji was unable to save him?

The brunet rolled over to avoid his bestfriend's gaze. Reiji could not simply answer what was wrong because apparently, the circumstances itself were unfathomable. He wanted to pretend none of this was happening and to sleep in hopes of waking up. Aine, however, was persistent.

"Reiji come on! I'm your bestfriend! I'm here to help you so please tell me what's the matter."

Should he or should he not? Scratch that – the better question should be how the sempai would respond. Certainly, he could not be direct and tell the other he was sent from the future by some force due to unknown reasons – it would only worry Aine more. The look on the cyanette, however, compelled him to do something.

 _He is my bestfriend…_

It was silent for a few seconds. Reiji hesitantly faced the other, forcing his grey orbs to look into cyan ones.

Cyan eyes that belonged not to Ai but to Aine, his bestfriend.

Someone he could confide anything to and someone who believed in him.

The person he missed the most.

Reiji opened his mouth and waited for the words to come out.

"I had a bad dream."

* * *

 **Chapter 3 finally out! Chapter 4 will be posted later. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Hopefully sometime today xD Hello dear readers! How are you so far? Teehee...thanks to those who reviewed/followed/favorited :) I'll be watching the next episode of UtaPri Revolutions so see ya in the next chap~!**

 **Question: if you were given the chance to go back to the past, will you take it?**


	4. Chapter 4

The ticking of the clock sounded more prominent in each passing second as two figures continued to stare at each other in silence. The taller one had cyan eyes full of curiosity and concern as he waited for his companion's response. The brunet, on the other hand, has eyes full of reluctance.

What was he supposed to say?

"I had a bad dream." Reiji began.

"Really? What was it about?" Aine asked and leaned closer.

Reiji bit his lip. _No point sugar-coating it._ "You tried to kill yourself."

At the end of his sentence, the clown-sempai felt tension befell them. He sensed the immediate change in his bestfriend's aura: from a concerned demeanour to a bitter one.

"Aine?"

"What did I do?" the aforementioned teen asked darkly.

"You tried to drown yourself." Reiji replied.

The brooding look on the cyanette's face only intensified. "I did, huh?"

"Y-You failed to, though." Reiji quivered. "You ended up in a coma instead."

"…Did anyone miss me? Did anyone care?" Aine said with bitterness manifested in his voice.

Reiji never heard himself stutter so much until now.

"O-Of course! A lot of people were sad! Your uncle, Kei, Hibiki…everyone!" Reiji replied and whispered the last part although audible enough for Aine to hear. "Especially me…I was very sad."

Aine looked at his bestfriend who looked and sounded very miserable, his cyan eyes once dimmed with resentment softened at the very sight before him.

"You were?" The cyanette asked in a hushed voice.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Reiji exclaimed, completely losing his cool. "I just lost my bestfriend! E-Every day I would visit you and bring you flowers and talk to you even though you could never respond in hopes that someday you'd wake up. When that day comes, I get to see your smile again and we'd hang out like there was no tomorrow and…and…"

Aine abruptly pulled Reiji into a tight embrace, causing the brunet to stop his rants and to sob uncontrollably on his bestfriend's shoulder. He always thought that he was the one to pull the cyanette into a hug and to be the crying shoulder, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.

Reiji believed he had to save Aine, but it turned out that the brunet was the one who needed to be saved.

 _We're both each other's saviors._

"I'm sorry." Aine said after a few moments of hushed silence, saved for the sound of sobbing emitted by the other. "I'm sorry."

"No…I'm sorry." Reiji sniffled. "I wasn't there when you needed me the most. I could've saved you, but I didn't. I – "

Aine stopped Reiji. "Don't be like that, Reiji. It's just a bad dream. I know you could, and you certainly would, save me."

Could this be the chance he had always been wishing for? To save his bestfriend from his fate?

If this was the chance, would he be successful?

 _This time…I won't let you go. I'll be here for you._

 _I'll definitely save you._

The idol sempai only hugged him again. He was there – Aine. He was alive and breathing.

He was there.

"Promise me you wouldn't do such a thing." Reiji murmured to which Aine smiled the slightest.

"I promise."

* * *

 **Hey hey hey! Here's chapter 4 :D I'm done watching the latest episode of UtaPri and damn! The effin' tension between Starish and QN! My heart cannot - *explodes* Saotome's just...ugh, I can't even explain what I felt. If Otoya's gonna grow up to be like Saotome, then I am VERY concerned x(( I honestly thought QN would sing+dance to _The Dice Are Cast_ , but nope! ._. oh well it was still pretty good :D Definitely looking forward to the next ep (Wait, is it the last? NUUUU!) **

**Thanks for reading this everyone ^^ I apologize if the chapters 3 and 4 are too short for your taste :( I will make it up to you guys with the next chapters :) Schoolwork really took up my time so please be patient with my slow updates T^T See ya~!**


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days had been going great for Reiji. His situation was a far cry from being normal considering the fact he was thrown back to the past yet somehow everything felt right.

"Oi, Reiji! Are you done yet or do we have to leave you behind?" Kei exclaimed while knocking on the bathroom door. It was a Saturday and they had nothing to do except go to the Kotobuki Bento for lunch. Reiji's treat of course.

"Mou~ so mean, Kei-kun!" Reiji whined childishly before he finally stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'm starving! I'm sure Aine couldn't wait either!" Kei barked, earning him a laugh from Reiji.

' _He's kinda like Ran-Ran!'_ the brunet thought.

"That's enough, you kids." Aine gently scolded. "Let's get going."

Reiji beamed at him. "Mengo~ I can't wait to spend the day with you guys!"

"Yeah, yeah. You said that like 5 times already." Kei pointed out with a slight smile. "Now let's go!"

The trip to the bento shop was filled with chatter and laughter mostly because of Reiji. The brunet had a lot of catching up to do and he used this peculiar opportunity to do so.

"This is fun!" Reiji said with a grin. "Shame Hibiki couldn't go."

"Yeah, he said he had to do errands for his mom or something." Kei added with a shrug.

Reiji laughed. "What a momma's boy!"

"Aren't you close to your mom as well, Reiji?" Aine remarked, causing the idol to blush in embarrassment.

"Y-Yeah but I'm nothing of _that_ sort!" Reiji cried out to his defence.

"Oh really? If I remembered correctly, you were out shopping for cooking ingredients with her the other day. You willingly missed class just to help her pick the better kind of carrots…"

"Aine!"

The cyanette laughed along with Kei at the prankster's expense. Somehow, this was just fine for Reiji. These were the moments he missed and he was glad to relive them with his bestfriend by his side.

It was what he wanted.

The trio finally arrived at their destination, the Kotobuki Bento, and immediately were seated. Reiji chose for his friends since he knew the menu well particularly the specialties, although his friends insisted they chose for themselves since they believed every food item sold was going to taste great anyway. While waiting, the trio mused about their upcoming audition.

"So Kei, have you composed a song for Aine yet?" Reiji asked.

Kei nodded. "I'm working on it. Just need to rearrange some notes. How's your song coming?"

"It's done….but I haven't practiced yet." Reiji replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Baka! The audition's next week!" Kei pointed out.

"You shouldn't waste time, Reiji." Aine stated.

The brown-haired sempai smiled apologetically at him. He knew his Aine to be a hard-working person, one quality of his bestfriend that Reiji admired.

"Hai, hai. I'll work hard from now on." The brunet chirped.

Just as he finished his sentence, the waiter came to serve their meals. Reiji couldn't help but be reminded of Camus once he saw the waiter. He was a tall lean male with icy blue eyes and long blonde hair tied in a low ponytail, and like the Count, had a captivating foreign charm.

"You new here?" Reiji asked.

If it weren't for the upbeat tone, he could be easily mistaken as Camus but then again, the noble was two-faced.

"Yes! I started working just a week ago." The waiter replied before telling them to enjoy their meal and tending to another customer.

"He's not from around here, isn't he?" Aine began.

"Nope!"

"Your mom doesn't have a fetish for foreign dudes, right?" Kei joked.

Reiji blushed and sighed. "Let's just eat, you meanies!"

* * *

Hours passed and before they knew it, the sun was already setting. Reiji, Aine, and Kei were currently found walking back to Saotome Gakuen with Reiji attempting to crack jokes.

"Reiji please….spare us! Your jokes are so corny!" Kei exclaimed.

"So corny it 'popped' a vein? Hahaha!" The clown sempai laughed.

"If I die right here and now, you'll be the one to blame!" Kei cried out. "Geez Aine, how do you put up with this guy?"

Aine smiled coyly. "Lots of patience, Kei. Lots and lots of patience…"

"Mou~ isn't it because I'm _your_ bestfriend?" Reiji began as he swung an arm around the cyanette's shoulder. "Ne, Aine?"

"He'll leave you the moment he has the chance." Kei muttered though Reiji was able to hear it.

"Non,non…bestfriends stick by each other's side no matter what!" The loud brunet proclaimed.

"Really? Wow…then the best of luck to you, Aine. You're gonna need it to survive this moron." Kei teased.

The cyan-haired male played along. "I appreciate that, Kei. I really do. May I live until the audition."

' _Even here,, I'm being bullied.'_ Reiji thought helplessly and pouted. "Mou…you guys are mean to Rei-chan!"

"It's for your own good, Reiji." Aine joked.

"And for the good of our sanity." Kei added.

The childish brunet puffed his cheeks. "When I debut, you guys will no longer make fun of me!"

"Pfft. Have you even practiced yet? You better work hard unless you want us to visit you in A-class." Kei stated. "You should keep up with Aine over here!"

Reiji and Aine looked at each other and smirked. Friendship aside, both males also saw each other as worthy rivals and neither dared to fall behind the other. Aine was often praised by his colleagues and would work himself to the limit in order to put out a grand show worth remembering and Reiji, despite being the clown of the group, could be quite serious when it came to work and was known to steal the spotlight with his charm. It was a silent agreement that they would aim higher together as competitive and exceptional individuals.

"You better pass that audition, Reiji." Aine taunted.

"I'll make sure to blow your mind away." The brunet shot back. "So you better be prepared!"

The sun finally set and the night unfolded to the fist bump of two great friends and rivals.

 _I look forward to singing with you in the future._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 is finally out! Ugh, I should be typing Chapter 6 but typing is hard when you know your exams are nearing yet here you are, prioritizing them fanfics xD Hello dear readers~! Sorry to have kept you waiting (and you'll probably have to wait some more...please don't un-love me! *cries*). Thank you to everyone who read/followed/favorited/reviewed! Hope to have more time to update after exams so wish me luck! Chapter 6 is already done, just need to type it ^^**

 **Speaking of the next chapter, here's a preview:**

 _"...you told me you had a dream about me trying to take my own life, correct?" Aine began._

 _Immediately, Reiji's heart raced twice its speed. "What about it?"_

 _The cyanette was silent for a tense moment until he spoke. "I planned to do it."_

 **Until the next chapter~!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey._

 _Can you hear me?_

 _I hope you can, although I am somehow relieved if you can't._

 _Why? Hmm, I wonder as well._

 _Maybe because I feel like a complete coward for not telling you before; I just had to wait until a time where you can't hear me nor see me._

 _Everything I wanted to tell you…useless as they fall into deaf ears._

 _But I'll tell it all to you anyway._

 _I'm glad to have met you. I'm thankful that I was given the privilege to call you as my bestfriend. I must be such a fool to have taken that privilege for granted, and left you when you needed me most. I'm such a failure…a bad friend._

 _You don't have to forgive me. I don't deserve to live anyway._

 _The world's one heck of an ocean and we're both drowning._

 _Sometimes, I wonder who really needs the saving – you or me?_

* * *

Reiji stared at his reflection in the mirror as his hands fixed his tie for the umpteenth time. Years of being in the idol industry was supposed to make him an expert in tying ties but for this occasion, the blue piece of garment just seemed out of place. He discarded the tie and sighed.

Perhaps he should've just stuck with the attire he wore years ago, back to the time he was unable to save his bestfriend.

Reiji shook his head. _That was a different reality now_. Due to whatever up there that was listening to his sobs at night about his inability to save a certain someone, the clown-sempai went back to the past in hopes of altering Aine's fate.

Speaking of Aine, the cyanette was as brilliant as ever. Reiji happened to pass-by a practice room where he heard the other sang. The brunet almost forgot how majestic his bestfriend and rival sounded so he found himself leaning on the other side of the door, savouring the sweet melody only an angel could create.

' _I won't lose to him though.'_ Reiji thought, determined to move to greater heights with his cyan-haired companion. The eldest of the Quartet Night couldn't possibly think of a better rival than the one he has now and hopefully until the end of their lifetime.

"He seems to have lightened up." The brunet told himself. "He looks like he's enjoying life."

How he hoped he was right.

30 minutes left before his audition. There was a knock at the door, which Reiji opened, and revealed the visitor to be Aine.

"Nani? What cha doing here, Aine? Aren't you supposed to be rehearsing?" Reiji inquired. "You're after me, right?"

"I want to talk to you about something." Aine said, sounding serious.

The cyan-haired teen let himself in and sat on a chair, motioning Reiji to follow suit. The brunet took a seat opposite Aine and waited for the other to talk, eager to know what his bestfriend wanted to discuss about.

"Reiji…you told me you had a dream about me trying to take my own life, correct?" Aine began.

Immediately, Reiji's heart raced twice its speed. "What about it?"

The cyanette was silent for a tense moment until he spoke. "I planned to do it."

At that moment, something like a chandelier crashed and burned Reiji's cool.

"Y-You can't!" Reiji exclaimed as he stood up. "You simply can't!"

"Reiji…"

"NO! No no no! I will not allow it! I w-won't let it happen! I-I'm not losing you! Fuck it, you are **not** throwing your future away!"

Reiji was starting to sound scared and threatened like a child abandoned in the dark, longing to be saved.

"I couldn't save you, but this time I could! You said it yourself, remember? I could and I certainly would save you so stop saying shit that you want to die!"

"REIJI!"

Aforementioned male stopped his rant and slowly sat down, his grey eyes on the verge of spilling some tears. He hung his head low to avert the gaze of the other.

"Listen to me first, okay?" Aine pleaded. "I _did_ plan to kill myself."

Reiji winced at Aine's statement. He wanted to avoid this topic, but if it were to stop the past from happening again somehow, then he would cast his feelings aside and listen. His bestfriend needed him and he wasn't going to ignore that.

"Carry on." The brunet managed to say, still avoiding eye contact.

"I thought I lost all reason for being an idol…and for living…but then that day happened where you told me you'd miss me and so will other people. I didn't think my existence would mean anything until you came along and made me realize how wonderful it would be to be an idol. The past few days made spent with you and the others gave me hope, which I desperately needed."

The brunet meekly raised his head and saw Aine with a smile on his face.

"I've been selfish…I lost sight but you made me see what mattered most and that's to bring joy to other people's lives. If your dream was real and if I did do the unthinkable, then I wouldn't be bringing joy to others right?" Aine exclaimed.

"No, no you won't." Reiji sniffled.

"Indeed…and I couldn't possibly bear the thought of my bestfriend living in a world of regret about not saving me." Aine whispered though audible enough for Reiji to hear. "I'd rather live in this damn world if it means seeing you happy."

Reiji smiled slightly. "The world's not that bad."

"I don't doubt you."

This time, Reiji looked at Aine in the eyes and grinned. He never saw such shine in the other's eyes and it made him happy. Reiji was glad – he had done what he failed to do years ago. He saved Aine, he saved a life.

 _Did I…?_

"Ah I sound out of character." Aine said sheepishly before looking at the clock. He took something out of his pocket and tossed it to Reiji. "Don't disappoint me with your performance."

Reiji looked at the green neck tie and smirked. "You won't be."

The cyanette returned the gesture before walking out of the room, leaving the clown-sempai with a burning determination.

' _He knows me well.'_ Reiji thought as he tied the green tie. _'I'll make sure my performance is a performance he will never forget!'_

Fixing his tie and grabbing a fedora, Reiji ran out of the room and into the stage where he stood several years ago, only this time, held a different future now that Aine's by his side.

 _But being saved doesn't change anything if we were to lose each other._

 _Watch over me and I'll watch over you._

 _That's a promise._

* * *

"KANPAI!"

A group of four friends were at a BBQ hut celebrating their debut as idols. Their days as hardworking S-class students finally paid off as they would soon enter another chapter in the Shining Agency as professionals in the Master Course.

"Your performances were splendid, you two!" Hibiki cheered. "You must've practiced so hard!"

"I would believe that if it were Aine. Reiji however…"

"Mou, Kei you don't believe in me?" Reiji whined.

"Your dumb luck, maybe." Kei responded.

"So mean~"

Aine chuckled. "Both of us passed, right? Then it means we did our best and are worthy of being in the Master Course."

"Master Course…when will that be?" Hibiki asked.

"Still a long time from now. Don't hurry, I need all the me time before I step inside that course." Kei exclaimed and drank another glass of sake. "Besides, we'll be very busy since we'll be working as professionals. I heard that the sempais there are quite strict."

"You have a point." Hibiki muttered.

The four continued to eat, drink, and chat until a loud cheer from a crowd echoed throughout the area. The other diners went out of the hut in an exited manner, leaving Reiji and his friends curious about the event taking place outside.

"What's going on?" Aine asked.

Kei shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Who knows?"

"Let's go check it out!" Reiji exclaimed and dashed out of the room.

"Oi, Reiji!"

Aine, Kei, and Hibiki had no choice but to run after their ever energetic friend. As the group got nearer to the crowd, the sound of bass guitars and drums became more prominent.

"A rock concert?" Kei exclaimed. The audience was so packed that it was difficult to see the band performing. Not a challenge for Reiji though.

"Reiji! Get back here!" Kei shouted. "There's no way in!"

"Yes there is!" Reiji hollered. "I'll be right back!"

"Reiji!"

The brunet soon disappeared among the crowd, leaving Kei annoyed. Aine sensed his friend's growing irritation and patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's wait for him at the BBQ hut. He'll be fine."

"If he's not an idiot or named Kotobuki Reiji, maybe!" Kei snapped but went back to the hut with the others anyway.

Meanwhile, Reiji was able to move past the crowd and had gotten a view of the concert. A group of four were performing: two were playing the bass and electric guitars, one was doing the vocals, and the other guy was rocking the drums. The crowd went wild when the bass solo came and Reiji couldn't help but to have his eyes focus on a pair of familiar dual-colored ones.

"Ran-Ran?"

* * *

 **I AM STILL ALIVE. Hello dear readers! It feels like forever since I last updated. I got lucky that I wasn't loaded with homework so yeah, why not update? Thank you so much for waiting, your patience is very much applauded ^_^ Hurhur...excuse Rei-chan's OOCness in this chapter (and believe me - things will get a lot weirder in the following chaps). Thanks to those who reviewed/favorited/followed! I hope you enjoyed this fanfic and stay tuned for more!**

 **Oho...Tsunmaru finally appears? Mehehehe ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Reiji could not believe his eyes.

The concert ended minutes ago yet there he stood on the spot, sight focused on a silver-haired male. As usual, Ranmaru gave a powerful performance in skilfully playing his bass guitar and the audience couldn't help but cheer wildly.

The rocker was as passionate as ever.

While the crowd cleared out and walked pass Reiji, the brunet started to move forward in hopes of getting to his bandmate. Blindly, the clown sempai bumped into strangers causing said strangers to send the brunet a glare.

Despite the reaction, Reiji paid no attention and continued to walk towards where Ranmaru was.

' _I wonder how Ran-Ran got here?'_ Reiji thought as he continued walking. _'Was he sent back to the past too? I wonder why…'_

Reiji indeed wondered. Just as he was about to go further and nearer Ranmaru, someone grabbed his wrist therefore causing him to halt and to snap out of his thoughts. Reiji, who was locked in a stare with the rocker, spun around and saw Aine.

"Reiji! Where are you going?" The cyanette asked. "We've been waiting for you."

Reiji looked at Aine then turned to where Ranmaru stood, but only to find him gone.

"Mengo~! I was so into the concert that I lost track of time." The brown-haired idol exclaimed sheepishly. "Let's go back, Ai-Ai."

Aine smiled unsurely. "Okay."

As the two headed to the BBQ hut, Reiji couldn't help but to sneak a glance behind him. He was certain that the bassist was no other than Ranmaru, however, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

' _Why do I feel like he's never seen me before?'_

* * *

Aine and Reiji went back to the BBQ hut where Kei and Hibiki were waiting for them. It truly surprised Reiji that the other two weren't rolling their drunken ass off; in fact, they were quite sober despite finishing 2 bottles of sake.

"Took you long enough." Kei began, his irritation earlier wearing off. "We ate ahead. Can't let good barbeque go cold while waiting for the two of you."

"Eh? Aine, you haven't eaten yet?" Reiji asked. When the cyanette shook his head, the clown sempai grabbed the other by the sleeve and hastily dragged themselves towards the counter.

"Mengo, Aine! I'll order us the juiciest BBQ so don't cha worry!" The brunet said as he passed-by some customers. The area had more people now due to the rock concert that took place earlier.

"Reiji! Watch where you're going!"

Aine's warning came a little late for his lively companion had already bumped into someone causing said someone's plate of barbeque to drop to the floor. At the sound of the dropped plate and its content, all eyes turned to where Reiji was, tension strong in the air.

This was not good.

"S-Sumimasen!" Reiji apologized and bowed his head.

The stranger scoffed. "Baka, you blind or something? Get your eyes checked!"

 _That voice…_

Reiji immediately stood straight and faced the stranger, who turned out to be not much of a stranger to him. Arms crossed and with a scowl on his face, Ranmaru's dual colored eyes glared intensely at Reiji for making him drop his food. Everyone knew that it was suicide to come between Ranmaru and his food or his sleeping time.

Sheepishly, the brown-haired idol scratched the back of his head. "Mengo! Won't happen again, Ran-Ran~!"

If it weren't for the nickname, Reiji would have been in the clear. Kei and Hibiki were now standing up from their seats as they, along with Aine, became alarmed for Ranmaru grabbed their friend by the shirt collar.

"The **fuck** did you just call me!?" An enraged Ranmaru said between gritted teeth.

Reiji was muddled by the situation. He always called the rocker by that nickname and although it annoyed the other, Reiji never expected his bandmate to react violently. The first time the brunet called him that, Ranmaru only bonked him on the head.

"Eh, Ran-Ran what's with the sudden burst of violence?" Reiji asked, somewhat nervous. "You never acted like that before…"

"I NEVER MET YOU AND HELL YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU DIDN'T!" The silver-haired rocker hissed. "Fucking idiot…"

He clenched his grip on the other's shirt and his balled fist trembled, ready to serve a punch. Kei and Hibiki were about to interfere when Aine stepped into the scene.

"Please excuse my friend. He had one too many." The cyanette stated calmly as he went near Ranmaru. "He obviously isn't himself as of now since he mistook you as someone he knows."

The rocker let go of Reiji, the brunet finding himself sitting on the floor, and went infront of Aine. Despite the glare Ranmaru sent, Aine didn't flinch and stared right back at the other with the same intensity of threat.

"Your friend huh? Well you better tell your friend here to get the hell away from me unless he wants to get into big trouble because I **CAN** and **WILL** assure that." Ranmaru warned.

"You wouldn't want to mess with me either." Aine stated coolly. "I'm sure neither of us wanted any trouble so let's stay out of each other's sight."

"Agreed." The silver-haired rocker turned to look at the brunet. "Heard that? Better stay out of my way and watch how much you drink, dumbass."

Reiji watched the retreating figure of Ranmaru until he was out of the BBQ hut. Although being cold was nothing new of the rocker, there was just something about Ranmaru's attitude that shook Reiji. The brown-haired sempai actually felt frightened that maybe Ranmaru would indeed knock the lights out of him had Aine not interposed.

Speaking of Aine, Reiji never saw him so… _dangerous_. The cyanette didn't express his anger the way Ranmaru did – in fact, he looked very calm. _Too calm_.

His calmness terrified anyone.

The clown-sempai sensed the danger in Aine's aura and it was so icy that it might have frozen the room with its absolute zero chill. The brunet swore that Ranmaru winced, albeit unnoticeable without close observation, at the cyanette's change of temper.

"Reiji, are you alright?"

The coldness that could have rivalled the frost Camus could bring forth when angered melted as Aine looked at Reiji with the warmness of hot cocoa on a winter evening. The cyanette had an arm outstretched for Reiji to take, seeing the brunet was glued to the floor for a period of time. The clown idol took hold of the other's hand and slowly got up with the assistance of the taller male.

"You trying to get yourself a death note!?" Kei exclaimed, half irritated and half worried. "What was that all about!?"

"You gave us a scare, Reiji." Hibiki supplied.

The brunet could only apologize. The quartet went back to their seats, relieved that the customers calmed and the tension was gone. And that they weren't kicked out of the BBQ hut for causing a scene and a possible fight. The four of them ate silently until Kei spoke.

"You know that guy? The angry silver-head?" Aforementioned teen asked.

"Kurosaki Ranmaru…he's the heir to the Kurosaki group right?" Aine added.

Reiji nodded and bit on his barbeque. He was still shaken by the earlier event though he tried to push the feeling away. He never experienced the other to be hostile. Rude, yes. Hostile, definitely not.

"I find it odd, and even life-threatening, for you to call him with a nickname and as if you two knew each other." Hibiki stated.

"Yeah, like seriously…. _Ran-Ran_? Have you seen the guy, Reiji? Heir or not, he looked like an axe murderer ready to cut you in half!" Kei exclaimed.

Reiji _had_ seen Ranmaru. Ranmaru would be the first one up upon knowing Reiji was the one cooking breakfast, he was the guy snarling at the ridiculous amount of paperwork Saotome assigned to him, he was the guy found arguing with Camus over take-out, and he would be the guy asleep on the couch at 3 in the morning.

But most importantly, Ranmaru would be the guy putting all of his effort in making Quartet Night one of the most amazing and adored idol groups. Because of his tsundere nature, the silver-haired idol would deny ever liking being in a group but Reiji saw right through him. Ranmaru would exhaust himself all night trying to perfect the moves, as the eldest sempai found out when he passed-by the practice room one night. The rocker threatened him not to tell anyone but of course, Reiji just laughed and said that he was astounded by the other's determination. The younger of the two blushed due to embarrassment and stormed off somewhere he wouldn't be interrupted.

That was the Ranmaru Reiji had seen and known. He was nothing like the person he encountered earlier.

"Earth to Reiji!"

Aforementioned male snapped out of his thoughts and saw his friends' concerned faces.

"What were you thinking about? You must be in deep thought to not notice that you're biting the stick." Hibiki pointed out.

The brown-haired idol removed the barbeque he was gnawing on. He was partly embarrassed of his unconscious action but he didn't really give much of a damn as of the moment.

"Reiji…are you okay?" Aine asked in concern while placing a hand on the other's shoulder.

The brunet managed a weak smile. "Yeah."

His friends were only worried more.

The group finished their meal and paid before heading home. It had been quieter since Reiji kept spazzing out. Having enough of it, Kei broke the silence.

"So where you guys heading to after today?" He asked.

"Mother's." Hibiki mumbled which earned him a chuckle and a slap on the back from Kei.

"I'll be visiting my uncle." Aine replied and turned to Reiji. "Wanna come over this weekend?"

"Sure." Was Reiji's short reply as he continued to walk absent-mindedly.

"I heard he was building something complex…a human-like robot." Aine began, in hopes of getting his bestfriend to speak more. "An A.I."

' _A.I….Ai?'_ Reiji thought and halted, just in time for Ranmaru and his bandmates to approach the other group's direction. Tension became prominent as Ranmaru's intense steel eyes glared its way to Reiji, then to Aine's cold cyan orbs.

"Ran-Ran…"

The silver-haired male frowned. "You again? Tch. Whatever happened to staying out of each other's way?"

"It's a small world." Aine spoke. "We were heading home."

"Huh, really? Then stay there. I hate to be running into your miserable faces all the time."

"Cool it, Kurosaki." Ranmaru's bandmate began. The angry rocker scoffed and walked past them, only to be stopped by Reiji.

"You seriously don't remember me?" The brunet asked.

"For the last time, **no**." Ranmaru answered and continued his business.

Reiji blocked his way. "Are you sure?"

"YES! The hell is wrong with you!?" The rocker exclaimed. "I don't fucking remember you!"

"Well I do!" Reiji shouted. "I know who you are and I remember it all! From calling your bass your girlfriend, to having really great cooking skills, and to your dedication to Quartet Night!"

"What the…..Quartet Night!?"

"That's the name of our group!" Reiji exhausted.

"Like hell I'm gonna be in a group with you!" Ranmaru exclaimed angrily. "You _don't_ know me!"

" **YES** ,I DO!" Reiji shot back. "You kept stray cats! _You fucking love cats_!"

At that statement, Ranmaru's fist came in harsh contact with the brunet's face, effectively knocking him out.

' _Why can't you remember me?'_

* * *

Reiji regained consciousness an hour later. He felt something cool on his forehead and recognized it to be an ice pack. The brown-haired sempai tried to get up but only to fail as he clutched his pained cranial.

' _Never knew Ran-Ran can punch so hard.'_ Reiji thought as a sigh escaped his lips.

"Ah, you're awake."

Reiji turned to the source of the sound and saw Aine. The cyanette grabbed a chair and sat near the brunet.

"Where am I and how long was I out?" Reiji asked.

"About an hour. You were really out cold. Kei, Hibiki, and I had to bring you to my apartment since it's the nearest." Aine replied and frowned. "You were pretty reckless back there."

Reiji examined his friend's features and found a bruise near the other's eye. The sempai immediately felt guilty in having his friends involved with the trouble he caused. He might have stopped Aine from attempting to kill himself, but Reiji feared that _he_ would have his bestfriend killed with his recklessness and stupidity.

"Gomen…"

Aine sighed. "Mind telling me what really happened earlier? What's with you insisting that you know the guy?"

That was a question Reiji couldn't answer without being thought of as insane. What was the brunet supposed to say? He couldn't just yak about how he was actually from the future and Ranmaru was his bandmate in a group called Quartet Night – he already did that and he got punched for it. Aine was looking for a rational answer which deemed to be impossible at the moment in Reiji's perspective.

Having nothing to say, the clown-sempai remained quiet thus earning him a look of worry from Aine.

"…..it's hard to explain." Reiji mumbled.

"At least try."

"Believe me, I am."

Silence once again engulfed the room. Aine decided not to pry anymore and thought of a way to change the mood.

"You're coming with me to my uncle's house this weekend and the week after that." Aine declared. "We both need relaxation and his place is perfect since it's near the sea. Oh, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

This caused Reiji to smile a little. "I don't intend to say no."

He needed to relax…and to think some things through.

 _If I stay, things will be different. The future will be different. It'll be better right?_

 _So what's this that's stopping me? This is the right thing to do._

 _Or have I just made a graver mistake?  
_

* * *

 **IT FEELS GOOD TO BE ALIVE AGAIN!**

 **Or at least active with my fanfics...^^ Hello my dear readers! I've missed you so much! Finally, after being loaded with school stuff I'm finally on break! *celebrates with confetti and cake* Here's chapter 7 and I'm terribly sorry for the wait. Thank you so much for reading this fanfic and look forward to the next chapters~! I haven't been able to reply to some of the messages but I'd like to thank all of you for your reviews/faves/follows :D Dear readers, I hope you know how happy you guys made me with your messages/reviews and simply by reading my works. Stay awesome and keep on brightening someone's day~! 'Till the next chapter!**

 **((Oh Reiji...I fear for your sanity T.T))**


	8. Chapter 8

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

After the incident with Ranmaru, Reiji found himself on a trip to the seaside with Aine. The cyanette practically forced the clown sempai to tag along; said sempai raised no objection since it would give his bestfriend a peace of mind.

Speaking of his bestfriend, Aine had never pampered someone so much until Reiji started acting funny. Ever since the brunet got punched in the face for claiming to have known and be bandmates with the angry heir to the Kurosaki group, Reiji had been under the watchful eye of Aine. The cyanette could always entrust Reiji to Kei and Hibiki, but he feared that the other two might not stand the brunet's odd behaviour so Aine took the responsibility of being Reiji's guardian.

"It's been a while since you last visited. You should see the new inventions the professor made!" Aine exclaimed. "I heard that he's recently occupied with building something Saotome requested."

"What's that?" Reiji asked for the sake of saying something after being unusually silent.

"An A.I or Artificial Intelligence." The taller of the two replied. "According to my uncle, Saotome requested him to create a robot that'll depict the perfect idol."

"The perfect idol, huh?" Reiji thought aloud and felt his lips broke into a smile. His fellow bandmate was the embodiment of idol perfection and Reiji swore that Ai wasn't human. The youngest displayed little to no emotion unless needed, and worked without breaking a sweat. The rest of Quartet Night could also do that since it was expected of them as professionals, yet they could never calculate or analyze as precisely as Ai.

Ai was a mystery – he really lived up to his given title: the mysterious cool beauty.

"Yeah, apparently Saotome believed that an A.I would whip newbies into flawless idols. I wonder what he meant by that." Aine continued.

"Maybe the A.I will be a sempai at the Master Course?" Reiji exclaimed, remembering his fellow Quartet Night.

His companion chuckled at the idea. "What're the odds of that? But then again, we're talking about Saotome. Who knows what's running inside that head of his."

The duo arrived at their destination. Reiji took his time to gaze at the place. The sea had never been so blue and the air had never felt this refreshing for the brunet.

It almost felt like paradise.

"Done with your sightseeing?" Aine asked thus snapping the other idol out of his thoughts. "Come on! My uncle's waiting!"

Reiji scratched the back of his head sheepishly before he followed his friend. They went to a house that Reiji knew too well for he had visited it multiple times. Aine rang the doorbell and it was opened by a very familiar man.

"Aine! Reiji! Good to see you boys! Come in, come in!" The professor exclaimed as he welcomed the two idols into his abode.

' _Everything's the same here…'_ Reiji thought and true enough, the professor's place didn't look so different. The place was clean with the exception of some papers – probably scientific research – lying around the table. Reiji wondered if it was the professor that brought him back to the past.

"Any chance you built a time machine?" The brunet asked.

The professor gave a hearty laugh. "Not quite. However, I am building something just as interesting! Let's head to the lab!"

The professor led them to a door downstairs and Reiji knew who used to be behind that door, hooked with contraptions and an oxygen mask. Now that Aine was saved, the brunet couldn't help but wonder who or what was inside that room.

' _If Aine's with me, then is Ai-Ai…?'_

The door was opened and it revealed the same white room with laboratory stuff around. However, instead of a bed in the middle, there was a metallic table and lying on it was another cyan haired figure.

"Ai?" Reiji whispered.

"Boys, meet my new invention – the A.I! This is what Saotome instructed me to build. He said to create the perfect idol android for it to serve as an example for aspiring idols." The professor boomed. "That's all he is, though, and that's all he needs to do. I still have to work on his voice and other data."

"Why does he look like me?" Aine asked.

"I had to model him after someone, and do I have any other nephew, huh Aine?" The professor explained while adjusting his glasses.

"You could have made him look like Reiji…" The cyanette grumbled. "Huh? Ne, Reiji!"

The brown haired sempai was once again lost in his own little world. It was one thing to see his bestfriend in a coma, but somehow, seeing his bandmate lying lifeless on the cold metal table was just worse.

' _Is this really worth it?'_ Reiji thought miserably. He felt like he just robbed his bandmate of his stunning future as a legit idol by saving Aine, but if he hadn't saved Aine, then his bestfriend would be in a fucking coma.

Right now, Reiji was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Was saving Aine really worth losing Ai?

"REIJI!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Aine finally managed to bring Reiji back to his senses. Reiji became aware of his surroundings and saw the concerned faces of the occupants of the room.

"I've been calling you many times. What's on your mind?" Aine asked and got an incoherent reply.

"The boy's probably hungry. I'll order us something to eat. Is pizza okay with you?" The professor chimed in an attempt to brighten the mood.

"Sounds good. Let's head to the living room, Reiji." The cyan haired teen suggested and led the dazed brunet outside the lab.

* * *

 _Tick….tick….tick….tick…._

Reiji stared blankly at the clock and listened to its sound. A while ago, he was contemplating whether or not he chose the right course of action hence, time held no gist whatsoever. Speaking of time, he remembered his conversation with Camus.

' _I travelled back to the past and I saved Aine from drowning himself but why do I feel like I lost something greater?'_ The brunet pondered.

All his life, he wanted Aine by his side and to have him experience the wonderful life as an idol. He wanted the world to know Aine and for Aine to share his beautiful voice to the world, but most of all, he wanted to see the other happy.

 _I'm not being selfish, now am I?_

"Shit…what have I done?" Reiji cursed himself and threw his head back in frustration. "Shit, shit, shit!"

His self-blame was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Thinking it must be the pizza the professor ordered, the clown sempai got up and went to get the door.

Only to be greeted by a familiar face upon opening.

"Pizza delivery! One box of pepperoni with extra cheese, right?" The delivery boy chimed while Reiji stood in shock.

'O-Otoyan!?"

The red head delivery boy blinked in confusion. "Sorry sir, but you got one letter wrong. My name's Otoya…but why would you know that?"

"What are you doing here?" Reiji asked in bewilderment.

"I'm the pizza delivery boy. I deliver pizzas." Otoya replied.

"You're not in Saotome Gakuen!? You're **not** an idol!?"

"Sir, I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about."

"Reiji, is that the pizza?" Aine asked, and just in time for him to see his bestfriend dashed out of the house.

* * *

Reiji ran.

He ran to wherever his feet took him – he didn't care at this point. He just wanted to run far away as realization finally dawned on him.

"How fucking selfish can I get!?" Reiji gritted his teeth and ran faster until he left the seaside and was heading towards a forest.

"It's all my fault! I **can't** save anyone!"

The brunet slowed down and eventually stopped to catch his breath. He leaned against a tree and breathed deeply.

"I really wish I can save someone…I wish I can, but…"

 _If I had to choose one life to save, whose life would it be?_

* * *

 **Hallo! Finally updated this fanfic! Here's chapter 8 (chapter 9 will be uploaded tomorrow) and I do hope you enjoy!**

 **Seems like Reiji's losing it. Oh my dear Rei-chan T~T**

 **Spoiler for the next chapter: FANS OF AI, BEWARE!**

 **(And I better go find a good sword to defend myself lol)**

 **Anyway, thanks for all your fave/follow/review! Ja~!**


	9. Chapter 9

Reiji continued to aimlessly roam the dense forest. It was getting dark and he did not want to worry Aine and the professor – although he already did that – so the brunet decided to head back. However, the clown sempai seemed to be caught in a dilemma. Reiji swore he was walking in circles because he kept passing a certain tree several times now.

"Damn it." The brunet cursed under his breath. "I think I'm lost."

Indeed he was lost – horribly lost. The clown sempai sat down and sighed. He was getting all sorts of tired. From running to walking around and to heavily reflecting what he had done; it rendered the brunet exhausted.

"Maybe I should just camp out here." Reiji said to himself after checking his phone and finding no service.

The tired idol looked around and immediately became awake when he saw a tuff of cyan hair from a distance.

"Aine?" Reiji got up and approached the figure and just as he did, the other moved away. _'Nani?'_

Reiji quickened his pace and only for the cyan haired teen to go farther away from him. The sempai ran and so did the other. Soon enough, it became a chase where Reiji desperately pursued his friend. Try as he might, though, Reiji couldn't reach the cyanette.

It was like the more he went after him, the farther Aine would move away.

"What….the….hell?" The clown sempai panted and stopped his pursue so he could catch his breath. "Huh? I lost him?"

The brunet frantically viewed his surroundings and concluded that he lost track of the other. Reiji let out an exasperated groan before lying on the ground. He flinched when he felt a drop of water hit his face. Ultimately, he saw the darkening sky and knew he was in trouble.

"Fuck." Reiji cursed before the outpour of the rain. The idol contemplated whether to get up or to just stay where he was. He chose the former. He slowly got up and saw cyan.

Suddenly, his feet went running and once again, Reiji found himself chasing after the person he believed to be Aine. The brunet couldn't understand what the deal was with this friend – did Aine want him to follow or not?

"Wait up!" Reiji huffed but the cyanette didn't stop. "Aine!"

Finally, the other halted until Reiji got a better view of the person he was chasing. Cyan hair, cyan eyes…but definitely _not_ Aine.

' _Ai?'_ "Ai-Ai? What're you doing here?"

Ai gave no response and walked deeper into the forest. The brunet followed suit and went after his bandmate before he disappeared again.

' _Why on earth is Ai-Ai here? Did the professor activate him to track me?'_ The eldest of Quartet Night thought. _'Maybe he's leading me to them.'_

Reiji went further and heard a faint sound. He got closer until he heard the sound of water. It wasn't the pit-pattering of the rain, no – it was much larger. It sounded like big waves crashing against a hill of some sort.

' _The ocean…?'_

Reiji was led out of the forest and to a cliff. The person he was following, Ai, finally stopped at the edge and looked at the chaotic body of water.

 _No…it can't be!_

"Ai-Ai! Get away from there!" Reiji cried out.

Ai turned around to face the brunet. His eyes were dull and near lifeless. The cyan haired teen smiled gingerly and took a step back.

 _No…don't do it!_

The older idol dashed forward in an attempt to grab his bandmate, but only to have his attempt in vain as Ai's hand slipped right through Reiji's fingers. Horrified grey eyes locked with falling cyan ones, everything seemed to have slowed down and despite the rain and the waves, Reiji perfectly heard what Ai said before disappearing into the ocean.

" _You couldn't save my life."_

* * *

 **DUM DUM DUM!**

 **Ohoho~ the suspense of what will happen next ;) Is it really too late for Reiji to save our beloved Ai-Ai? And what exactly is going on? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Hello my dear readers! Thanks so much for reading and for your continuous support! Please look forward to the next chapter (you're almost there - this fanfic will end soon!) :3 See ya!**

* * *

 **Since I can't send out a message for all of you guys (unlike in Wattpad), I just want to say thank you so much for supporting my other UtaPri fanfic, The Switch. It had been a year when I first published it (Dec. 29 and also Masa-chan's bday!) and BOOM! It got a lot of positive feedback :D I'm so glad to know that it made a lot of people smile ^^ The Switch was the very first fanfic that I truly enjoyed writing and it's all thanks to you, dear readers! I will do my very best with its sequel, The Switch II. I guarantee that you will also have a good laugh :D**

 **Thinking of you and until the next time!**

 **~Blunderland**


	10. Chapter 10

Lifeless cyan eyes lingered on Reiji's mind as he continued to stare at the chaotic waves that crashed mercilessly against the cliff he was standing on. The brunet froze after losing sight of Ai, but what haunted Reiji the most were the words that replayed inside his head like an old broken record.

 _You couldn't save my life. You couldn't save me._

"NO! STOP IT!" Reiji exclaimed while clutching locks of his hair, then suddenly, everything became dark and a feeling of eeriness radiated into the atmosphere.

 _You couldn't save your friend. You couldn't save anyone!_

" **SHUT UP!** "

Tears of anger and frustration streamed down his face just as the brown-haired idol fell on his knees. It wasn't the first time he got all the blame for the almost death of his friend but it certainly felt like it. It didn't help that he, too, cursed himself for the unfortunate events that took place. The former cheery idol glanced at the ocean – which was now still – and saw his reflection smirking at him.

 _You waste of space. You couldn't save your friend, you cost your kouhais their dreams…this is all your fault!_

"S-Stop…"

 _You go walking around this world as if you did no wrong. Who are you trying to fool? The only one you're fooling is yourself!_

"…"

…

 _You're nothing._

 _You should be nothing._

"I'm nothing." The brunet whispered to himself. "I don't deserve to exist."

After making such statement, Reiji shakily got up and took a deep breath. He was of no use to the world and to those around him so why bother living?

' _The world wouldn't miss me anyway…'_

Reiji mentally counted and once he reached zero, he prepared to jump. However, just as he was about to, a hand grabbed hold of his and his eyes snapped open.

"Reiji! Damn, I was worried sick!" Aine exclaimed as he hugged the brunet.

Reiji looked around his surroundings. It was definitely dark and it was raining. The only source of light was the one emitted by a flashlight that Aine brought.

' _It was just a dream?'_ The dazed idol thought. He must have been exhausted from running that he collapsed without warning and fell asleep.

"It felt too real…" The maracas sempai mumbled, recalling the nightmare he had about losing Ai. The image of his bandmate falling down from the cliff remained fresh in his memory and he felt a pain in his heart that constantly stung.

Noticing his friend's unusually silent behaviour, Aine broke the embrace and looked into Reiji's eyes.

"Let's go back, okay?" The cyanette began and gave a reassuring smile.

The brunet nodded and soon the two of them were heading back to the professor's house. Their walk was quiet, saved for the sound of rain. Reiji glanced at his companion and noticed Aine wasn't wearing anything to protect him from the rain.

' _He just left with a flashlight?'_

Reiji slumped down his shoulders. It was bad enough that he had Aine worried, but now his bestfriend searched for him in this weather?

' _Way to go, Rei-chan…you just endangered Aine of hypothermia.'_ The brunet thought glumly.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry I didn't bring an umbrella. I never thought it would rain." Aine began.

"Don't be!" Reiji abruptly exclaimed. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. I'm sorry I took off without warning. I'm such an ass! I'm sorry…."

Aine stopped his tracks and faced the shorter male with a serious expression. "Reiji…you're not acting like yourself."

The clown sempai attempted to evade, yet another, paradoxical situation. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I'm pretty unpredictable so who knows what I'll do next?"

However, the idol's attempt rendered useless for Aine saw right through him. "Your lies don't work on me, Reiji. You might as well tell me the truth."

Reiji sighed in defeat. "It's hard to explain."

"I still want to hear it." The other insisted.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then I'll try to understand!"

"NO YOU WON'T!" Reiji snapped. "You won't, okay!? You wouldn't understand and you never will so _**stop being so fucking persistent!**_ "

In a flash, Reiji found himself pinned against a tree with his shirt collar being clutched by Aine. Cyan eyes glared at grey; Reiji didn't blame the other for being mad.

"You want me to stop? You're being ridiculous." Aine glowered but eventually, his eyes softened and his grip on the other loosened. "Reiji, I'll never stop asking you until you tell me because you're my bestfriend, and anything that bothers you has the same effect on me."

Aine let go of Reiji and looked away. In many ways, the cyanette ought to be Reiji's brother by soul, but there were some things that deemed unexplainable and incomprehensible.

"You're not being the usual you ever since that day Kei found you lying around the maze garden. I feel like you're weirded out with my presence, like I shouldn't even be alive right now." Aine supplied.

Reiji felt like he could crumble anytime soon due to how dead right the cyanette was. Aine wasn't supposed to be by his side for the sole reason that he was in a coma for years. Furthermore, Reiji shouldn't be in this time zone even if it were to save his bestfriend. Hell, the brunet never expected that saving someone's life would cost other's theirs. Whether Ai truly was an android or not, the youngest of Quartet Night had so much in stored for him and not just some shitty job as an embodiment of idol perfection.

Aside from Ai, Reiji had his two kouhais to worry about. Otoya never entered Saotome Gakuen and got a lousy job as a pizza delivery boy. Tokiya probably paraded around as HAYATO but Reiji knew that the dark haired kouhai of his hated it. In addition, if his two juniors weren't enrolled in Saotome Gakuen, that meant Starish never existed.

"You're spazzing out again." Aine pointed out. "You almost never do that. Well, not until the past days."

"Nothing makes sense anymore." Reiji mumbled, which his companion heard.

"Funny…you sound like me back when I – " Aine halted his sentence and in a hushed voice, continued, "…when I tried to take my own life away. Reiji, you're not thinking it, are you?"

Reiji was silent. Maybe the recent events did have a psychological effect on him albeit unconsciously. He wasn't completely aware of what his odd behaviour could lead him to but now,

 _Do I want to die?_

"Reiji, please tell me you're not thinking it!" Aine pleaded in desperation. "Please…"

"I-I don't know!" The brunet stuttered. "I just don't know…"

The cyan idol pulled the other in an embrace. "Then don't do it. Don't even think about it."

The two males stayed that way for what felt like an hour even though only seconds passed. Like rain, Reiji's thoughts were falling on the strangest and darkest corners that promised no light.

"I don't know what's making you upset but I hope it'll go away. Everything's going to be alright." Aine began. "I understand how you feel. I've been there, and I lost myself."

The taller of the two gave the brunet a small smile. "But you found me. Remember what you told me during the day of your audition?"

' _The world's not that bad.'_

"I still hold on to that. I hope you will too." Aine continued before releasing the other. "Reiji, you saved my life and I'm grateful. Now, I want to save yours so don't give up."

The right words were unable to form after Reiji listened to his friend. The tables had definitely turned for this time, it was Reiji on the verge of losing his meaning to live and Aine was doing his best to rescue the brunet from himself. If this was how lost and hopeless the taller idol felt, Reiji wondered how was he able to convince his friend to continue living – if only he could do the same for his own being.

Having nothing else to say, the brunet nodded his head despite the lack of clarity. Soon, the two were on their way until they reached the house where a worried professor had been waiting for their return.

"Boys! Come inside quickly!" The professor called.

The idols complied and then changed into dry clothes. They stayed in the living room while the professor served them tea to warm themselves after running under the rain.

It was silent until the professor spoke. "You boys got me really concerned, y'know? I already considered calling the police when an hour passed and the two of you haven't returned yet."

"Gomenasai." The two teens chorused.

"I feel like a parent of two boys now." The professor said before he chuckled. "At least you're in one piece. Go get some rest after this, alright?"

With that, the professor left the other occupants of the room. Aine looked at Reiji, who seemed to be in a world of his own, for the brunet was staring into nothingness once again.

"Your room's ready." Aine began thus bringing the other back to reality. "It's just a few feet away from mine so if you need anything, don't hesitate to knock on my door."

' _You're such a good person, Aine.'_ Reiji thought. "Okay. Thank you."

Aine smiled warmly at Reiji before standing up. "I'll be taking my leave now. Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi." Reiji stayed in the living room for a few minutes more before heading to the guest room prepared for him. As soon as his head hit the soft pillow, his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.

...

 _The day's not the same without you. It's a lot quieter._

 _..._

Reiji looked at his surroundings but only to see none. It was pitch-black and not a single ray of light in sight – had he gone blind? Or was the brunet dreaming again? Come to think of it, Reiji had been dreaming more often lately although unpleasant. Nightmares were more suited as a label to the show his mind had arranged – a horrible, suffocating, black and white display of incomprehensible emotions.

"Hello! Anyone there?" Reiji called out and those words echoed back to him. The brunet had no idea where he was, much less know if this was even real, and who knew what lies ahead.

' _Only one way to find out.'_ Reiji thought and started walking around the dark area. He didn't crash into anything and Reiji wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or alarmed. Feeling uneasy, the brunet decided to run in hopes of bumping into something rather than just being alone in a strange place.

Minutes passed – or at least Reiji thought so – and the clown sempai still found no source of destination or anything related. It was like he was running in circles or running in a pavement with no end and it was frightening.

"Aine! Kei! Hibiki! Anyone!?" Reiji cried out as he continued to run in darkness. "Answer me please!"

Just then, Reiji felt himself falling from a great height and as he fell, voices filled the background.

 _When do you think he'll wake up?_

 _Idiot…this is his fault!_

 _He should have been more careful. Look at what happened._

 _Is he even alive?_

The brunet was plunged into an unknown body of water and he felt himself drown not in liquid, but in his thoughts of guilt and self-blame.

 _I couldn't save him._

 _This is all my fault._

 _I'm useless._

 _I'm a bad friend._

 _I should be the one in a miserable state, not him._

 _I don't deserve to live._

 _I should just die._

' _No…'_ Reiji struggled to fight his inner demons. His dark side was getting the best of him and Reiji was doing everything to snap out of it, however, his efforts were in vain as he slowly lost his conscience.

...

 _This isn't the end._

"Reiji…"

Upon hearing his name, the clown sempai opened his eyes and was honestly surprised to find himself in his room. He looked to where the source of the voice was and saw Aine sitting on a stool near the bed.

"Aine?"

"I came to check on you. You were panting heavily and moving about in your sleep. I got worried and tried to wake you up." Aine explained.

"Gomen. I had a nightmare." Reiji said. "It was really bad. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll go back to sleep now."

"You've been getting bad dreams lately." Aine smiled gently. "I'll keep watch on you."

Reiji became wide awake for a split second upon hearing Aine's statement. "Eh? I've already caused you enough trouble! You should get some shut eye, Aine!"

"I think I'll sleep better knowing you're safe and sound." The cyanette exclaimed. "I'll stay here with you."

The brunet sighed. "You're not gonna change your mind anytime soon, huh?"

"Nope. I'll look after you until you're fast asleep." Aine grinned. "Oyasumi."

Reiji returned the grin. "Oyasumi."

Soon, sleep began to take over. Perhaps having Aine around would drive away his bad dreams like a dream catcher.

He felt safer already. How right Reiji was.

* * *

Curtains that covered the glass window were pushed to the side hence allowing the gentle rays of the sun to enter the once dim room. The visitor, a well-known idol, then placed sunflowers on a vase across a sleeping individual before pulling a chair next to said individual. On the bed was another great idol named Reiji Kotobuki, who was currently in a deep slumber.

"Hey. Can you hear me?"

No response from the other but of course, this was expected.

"I hope you can, although I am somehow relieved you can't."

Locks of cyan hair fell forward as the idol leaned towards Reiji, studying his breathing and fearing it might stop in any moment.

The cyanette continued his speech. "Why? Hmm, I wonder as well. Maybe because I feel like a coward for not telling you before. I just had to wait until a time where you can't hear me nor see me."

Would it make a difference if he said those things while his dear friend was conscious? Perhaps, but it would be much more difficult.

"Everything I wanted to tell you render useless…but I'll tell it all to you anyway."

The cyanette held the other idol's hand before he resumed speaking. "I'm glad to have met you. I'm thankful that I was given the privilege to call you my bestfriend. I must be such a fool to have taken that privilege for granted…and left you when you needed me most."

The one speaking felt a painful tug in his chest. It had been a long while since he felt that way for someone else, and not just self-pity.

"I'm a failure…a bad friend" The cyanette whispered. "You don't have to forgive me. I don't deserve to live anyway."

The room went silent that one could hear a pin drop. If the brunet was awake, the place wouldn't be so quiet. The cyan-haired teen momentarily stood up and looked out the window. The sun was brightly gleaming and the sky was of a wonderful blue hue with a few clouds present. This day seemed perfect and Reiji would've loved it.

The idol turned his attention back to the former. "The world's one heck of an ocean that we're both drowning in and it makes me wonder," The cyanette approached the sleeping brunet before finishing his sentence. "Who really needs the saving? You or me?"

…

The silence was overwhelming.

' _I wish I could take back what I did and start things all over again. If only time spun in reverse, then maybe things wouldn't have ended like this.'_ The cyan-haired idol thought miserably. "But…being saved doesn't change anything if we were to lose each other."

He gave Reiji's hand a light squeeze. "Watch over me and I'll watch over you. That's a promise."

At the end of his statement, the door was opened by a tall male with blond hair and ice blue eyes.

"Hello, Camus-san."

The earl was unfazed by the other's presence though he did acknowledge the cyanette with a nod.

"Came to see him?" The blond asked.

"Only for a little while." The cyan-haired idol replied. "I'll be leaving now."

"Very well." Camus said as he took a seat across Reiji's bed. "Will you be back?"

"Who knows?" The teen in question smiled. "Oh, and Camus-san? I know Reiji can be…unbearable sometimes but please look after him."

Camus gazed at his fellow bandmate. In the eyes of others, he seemed to be talking with Ai but of course, this wasn't the case.

"You have my word, Aine."

* * *

 **DUMDUMDUM! Hello dear readers! I am finally back and here is chapter 10! Ohohoho...answers will finally be revealed in the next - and last! - chapter! Yeah I noticed this story ends in just a few chapters but I can't exactly balance school and fanfiction like a pro unless I wanna quit one...and I ain't quitting the two!**

 **Everyone, thank you so much for reading this story and for your continuous support! I know I haven't replied to all of your comments but rest assured that I read them and it made my day :) Yosh! I will do my best!**

 **Oh, and UtaPri 4~ Hurhurhur...I wonder how that'll turn out. Don't you wonder as well?**

 **Tune in for the last chapter~! See ya!**


	11. ANNOUNCEMENT ((Please Read))

I don't usually do this thing where I update with an announcement, but when I do, it only means that I'm dying to tell it to you guys. The author's note next chapter simply cannot wait and perhaps might be too long – well, longer than usual – so I decided to go ahead and update with an announcement. I hope your anticipation wasn't crushed into tiny, microscopic particles.

Remember when I said that the next chapter of Quartet Knight will be the last?

 **I LIED!** HAHAHAHA! :D

Okay, no. I was actually pretty serious when I said that, but damn I swear you guys must have gone to Hogwarts because I felt like a spell had been casted on me! Perhaps you, yourself, must be made of magic. I was compelled to extend this story by at least 1-2 chapter/s before the finale and I came into a conclusion that writers do get motivated by their readers.

Honestly, I never thought that you lovelies would actually like this fanfic. I wrote this during a time where I was thinking about the possibilities of Aine waking up and if Reiji would trade it all away to be with his best friend. There's more to maracas-sempai's character than what was shown.

It all started with the line " _will you really risk a life in favour of another?"_ , that this story was born. It only contained 11 chapters (11 idols) and I thought it would stay that way until I thought, "hey, I like this story too! I don't want it to end yet."

What I'm trying to say here is thank you, dear readers. Thank you your support and for motivating me to write more for you and me. You reminded me that I, too, am a reader and there are stories I still want to go on, even for just two chapters more before the end. I will do my best with Quartet Knight so please look forward for the next part! Sankyu~so very much!

~Blunderland


	12. Chapter 11

He still remembered the day.

He was lying on his bed facing the ceiling of his dark room. Much like his soul, his room was a mess – clothes were scattered on the floor, papers were all over the place and maracas were left to collect dust. Another year passed and still no sign of Aine waking up.

The thought crushed him.

On the palm of his hand was his phone displaying the details of the very call he missed and wished he hadn't. Once he got out from work, Reiji would head back to his apartment and fall on his bed while waiting for a call from a certain someone even though that person wouldn't be dialling Reiji's number anytime soon. The brunet would wait until he unconsciously falls asleep and the cycle goes on. It wasn't like he had anyone else to talk to – everyone blamed him for Aine's suicide attempt including two of his closest friends, Kei and Hibiki. Between the two, Kei was the most devastated since he was Aine's composer and they shared a special bond with one another so Reiji understood why he was so upset. Still, it was unfair that the brunet's side of the story wasn't heard much or others pretended to be fucking deaf. The only people who didn't sneer at him were his mom and sister, Shining Saotome, Hyuuga-sensei, and Aine's uncle.

Life gets lonely sometimes regardless of the amount of time he was alone.

' _If you were here, you would urge me to go to the beach with you.'_ Reiji thought. He could always go by himself since no jerk would bother him there, but going to a place where his bestfriend tried to drown himself wasn't exactly helpful.

Sighing, the brunet shifted and hugged a pillow. Perhaps he should just go to sleep – it had always been a remedy. Just as he was about to, his phone rang. Reiji raised an eyebrow once he saw the caller.

"Hello?"

It was Shining Saotome. The president of his academy asked him how he was doing and somehow, it made Reiji feel a little lighter inside. No matter how crazy and questionable Saotome would usually act, the old man was of good nature.

"I have an assignment for you, Mr. Kotobuki." Said the president.

"What is it?" Reiji inquired.

"You are to be in a band of four. Are you up for it?"

Silence.

…

…

"What time and where?"

"Tomorrow, 1:45 pm. You and the others will meet at my office."

"Alright."

With a hearty laugh, Saotome hung-up leaving Reiji in a state of wonder. The brunet finally agreed to sing in a band after going solo for a long while. Come to think of it, it had been quite some time since he last sang – he mostly did jobs related to comedy after he found out how good he was at making other people laugh even if he couldn't do it for his self without pretense. In addition, there were four members including Reiji.

Would it be the same?

Of course not. It wouldn't be the same because they were people Reiji never knew.

But then again, so were the people he used to be friends with.

* * *

Next day came and Reiji forgot the time he was supposed to be at Shining's office. Well, maybe not that he forgot, he just overslept. He had 2 hours before the designated time so the brunet decided to take a quick nap. He opened his eyes and was frankly surprised that it read 1 o'clock on his watch so as of the moment, Reiji was going around the room grabbing a decent attire and his car keys. It really helped that he owned a vehicle and he was quite knowledgeable of shortcuts therefore he arrived exactly on time although he looked a bit dishevelled from all the running.

"Mr. Kotobuki! Glad you could join us!" Saotome boomed.

Reiji smiled sheepishly and went inside. There were 3 other males in the office, minus the presence of Saotome and Hyuuga. One guy has spiky silver hair and dual-colored eyes which Reiji suspected one to be contact lens, the other one has long blond hair, ice blue eyes, and was obviously from a foreign land, and the last guy –

"A-Aine?" Reiji stuttered which earned him strange looks from the occupants of the room.

How could this be? Has Aine woken up without the brunet's notice? Impossible!

Clearing his throat, Hyuuga spoke, "Kotobuki, take a seat. We are about to begin."

The dazed idol eventually complied and sat across the cyan-haired stranger, who looked at him with blank cyan eyes. No doubt he looked like Aine but there was something off about him.

"I bet all of you were wondering why you've been called here." Ryuuya began.

By the looks of the others, Reiji concluded that he was the only one informed about the president's motive.

"It is without a doubt that you are all highly skilled idols and you possessed the qualities of professionals." Hyuuga Ryuuya continued. "The president decided to form an idol group composed of the four of you in order to maximize your potential and to further elevate you in this industry."

"Yes-o! You will be known far and wide-o!" Shining Saotome exclaimed. "This is a chance you must not miss! Your presence here means you accept!"

"Please introduce yourselves before leaving." Ryuuya instructed. "Let's begin with you, Kotobuki."

Time to put on his happy face again. "Konnichiwa minna! I'm Reiji Kotobuki! Let's all do our best!" The brunet cheered.

"Ranmaru Kurosaki." Was the only introduction of the spiky-haired male.

"Camus of Permafrost. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The foreign individual said a bit too sweetly.

The last to introduce himself was…

"Ai Mikaze."

Reiji stared at him. He looked like Aine, he sounded like Aine, but he definitely wasn't the brunet's bestfriend. Why, Aine held so much emotion and animation while this guy…there was only emptiness in his eyes.

Once their brief introduction was through, Reiji and the others were dismissed from the office. As usual, Reiji was the sunshine of the group and tried to brighten things up.

"Uwah~! We're a group! I hope we can all be friends~!" The brunet exclaimed happily but earned silence as a response. "Minna! Why so quiet?"

"Hmph. It is my last request to engage with peasants!" Camus began, his true colors coming out.

"Peasants huh? Who made you king?" Ranmaru retorted to which Camus pointed his scepter at the rocker in a threatening manner.

"Watch your tongue! I am capable of freezing you to death!" Said the royal.

"Tch. Is that a joke or a threat? Either way, I'm not amused. Not a fucking bit." Ranmaru shot back with a glare.

"Now, now…let's not get into trouble!" Reiji intervened.

"Reiji Kotobuki is right. It is pointless and vey unprofessional to cause a scene over a petty matter." Ai added.

The idols involved either scoffed or sneered at the other before parting ways.

' _What a funny duo.'_ Reiji thought. _'First time those two met and they already hated each other.'_ "Thanks for backing me up!"

The cyanette stared at him blankly. "Don't think that it means anything. By the way their fists clenched and the intensity of their glare, they were ready to fight. What I did was simply to stop a meaningless fight. I did not back you up."

With that, Ai went away leaving Reiji almost shocked. 'Almost' because he didn't really expect someone he just met to be so chummy and 'shocked' because those words came out of someone who looked like the person who would say the opposite.

Once again, he was alone but there was nothing new with that.

Months passed and the four idols were on better terms than the first week since they've met. They interacted more with each other, despite some of those interactions were arguments between Ranmaru and Camus, and the four males were more cooperative. Reiji was doing better as well. He was more genuinely enthusiastic now that he belonged in a group even though he was, more often than not, told to keep shut or was plainly ignored. The brunet had even tidied his room and let in some light in case his bandmates planned to visit him in order to discuss idol work.

Speaking of idol work, they found out that the real reason why they were grouped was because Saotome wanted them to try out for the UtaPri Award. The other three couldn't care less about the award but Reiji believed that it was his high spirits that motivated everyone. Was he bragging? Perhaps, yet changing the perspective of his bandmates would need a miracle should anyone else try to motivate them. In addition, Reiji felt like he had been accepted by the others since no one would hit him every time he called them by the nicknames he gave them; unlike the first to three times he did so it was all good.

Reiji heard his phone ringing. He knew exactly who it was and answered it.

"Ai-Ai!"

"About time you answered my call." The younger of the two began.

The brunet quirked an eyebrow. "You say that as if I've missed your other calls before! This is the first time you've called me, Ai-Ai!"

"…"

"Hello? Ai-Ai, you still there?" Reiji asked in concern.

After a moment of silence, Ai spoke, "I'm still here."

Something about the way the cyanette said it that made Reiji a little down-casted. Ai was definitely not Aine yet sometimes Reiji felt like he was talking with his bestfriend instead. Maybe he was just imagining things or maybe he just missed Aine so much. Perhaps both.

Steering his thoughts back to reality, Reiji let out a chuckle and asked the other if he got lost with the address although he highly doubt that. Despite his young age, Ai was pretty smart and frankly the most logical among the group. No wonder he was known to be a genius.

"No. In fact, I'll be arriving at your place in exactly 5 minutes." The cyanette replied.

"Okie dokie then~ Ja ne!" The older of the two cheered. The day for the UtaPri Awards was fast approaching and they still had a lot to revise. Ai was working on their song and although he said he was fine doing the composition alone, Reiji insisted that he helped so Ai had no choice but to let him for the brunet could get pretty persistent. Reiji suggested meeting at his place to work and Ai did not object to that.

Precisely five minutes later, the doorbell was rung. The brown-haired male merrily skipped to the door and opened it.

"Ai-Ai! Welcome!"

The younger of the two gave a slight nod before entering the room. Of course, no time was wasted since the cyanette was intent on getting work done. They would take breaks and Reiji would offer whatever food he got but only to be turned down by Ai who claimed to be full from what he ate when he left his apartment. They would resume with work and before they knew it, they were done just as the sun was setting.

"It's getting pretty late." Reiji began.

Ai stood up. "Yes. I should get going." He turned to the brunet and gave a slight bow. "Thank you."

The cyanette was about to head to the door when he was stopped by Reiji.

"Hey, hey! You can't go out there _alone_! It's dangerous to be walking around at night!" The older of the two exclaimed.

"I assure you I am capable of defending myself." Ai stated in a monotone manner.

"There are bad people out there, Ai-Ai! Who knows what they'll do to you!" Reiji crossed his arms. "As your older brother, I will **not** allow you to be placed in danger! You are staying here for the night!"

Ai looked at him and sighed. He knew too well that there was no changing Reiji's mind once it's made up. It was evident on his face that he wouldn't allow the cyanette to wander around without the company of an adult.

"Very well." The younger of the two conceded. "Can I use your phone? I will just inform…my guardian of my stay here."

Reiji grinned and pumped his fists in the air. "Yahoo~! This'll be a sleepover!"

Such energy was normal of the brunet and so was being ignored by the other. Ai went to make a call while Reiji busied himself with preparing dinner. It had been a while since he last had someone over so why not treat Ai-Ai with his cooking? After all, it was one skill he possessed that saved him from going to restaurants every night. Once he was through, Reiji called the cyanette for supper.

"Itadakimasu~!" Reiji exclaimed before chowing down the meal he made.

Ai stared at his food for a short while before he nibbled on a piece of karaage. He seemed cautious which did not go unnoticed by Reiji.

"Something wrong, Ai-Ai? You're not allergic to anything there, are you?" The brunet asked in concern.

Ai shook his head. "It's not that."

"You don't like the food?"

"It's not that either. I'm just not accustomed to eating…so much food and this is the first time I had a homemade meal." The cyanette explained.

Reiji mouthed an 'oh' before he broke into a smile once the other started to eat like any other regular human being his age. The brunet figured for his bandmate to be a growing boy since he was so young therefore Reiji made sure to whip up a good meal. It truly surprised him when Ai stated that he didn't eat a lot, but then again, the cyan-haired teen rarely joined the group when eating was involved. He would always say that he needed to go somewhere or that he ate ahead. Ranmaru and Camus didn't question him unlike the eldest who would try to persuade the other to have a snack.

Ai was full of secrets. Come to think of it, among his bandmates, Reiji knew Ai the least. He had no idea what the cyanette's hobbies were or his family or even his childhood! When asked about personal life, Ai would give the vaguest answers and it drove Reiji insane. The rest of the group didn't really care and the fans were too oblivious but not the brunet. He was determined to know the youngest member of the group especially if he knew or has any affiliation with Aine. However, Reiji's efforts were in vain for Ai gave no answers or would divert to another topic.

Ai was a mystery – a riddle Reiji couldn't quite solve and he was only intrigued even more.

Once they were done eating, Reiji readied his visitor's room. He has a guest room since Aine, Kei, or Hibiki used to stay overnight at his place.

"Ai-Ai! Your room's ready!"

The cyanette went to where he should rest and made himself comfy. Reiji, who hadn't left the room yet in case the other needed anything else, grinned. Maybe it was just him, but the brunet swore he saw a slight smile on Ai's face.

"Oyasumi, Ai-Ai." He began.

Ai looked at his host and in turn told him to have a goodnight as well.

Reiji went to bed and in fairness, it was the best sleep he ever had after a long time.

* * *

The day of the UtaPri Awards came and sadly, the group didn't make it. However, they were no doubt the fan's favourite judging by the loud cheers they received and the chanting of their group name.

"Aww…I really think we did better though." Reiji began.

"What happened, happened. No use sulking over it." Camus added.

"We'll be going our separate ways after this. Well, that is until Shining Saotome calls us to regroup." Ai exclaimed. "There is a 100% chance that we will meet each other again."

"Tch. Is that so?" Ranmaru commented, sounding a bit disappointed about the separation. "Whatever…by the way, how'd you come up with the band's name?" He asked the brunet.

Reiji grinned – of course, he was the one responsible for providing a name for them.

"It perfectly suits us!" The eldest exclaimed. "Cool, mysterious, and tempting…we are the four nights – Quartet Night!"

The other three looked at their hyped companion then at each other with a faint smile. It was no use denying that throughout the months they've spent together, they formed a connection – a bond – with one another. They might part ways for now to do their own work but it was certain that they would meet each other again. Next time, they would take the throne and the crowd would cheer their name –

 _Quartet Night_.

* * *

 **It isn't over yet.**

 **Hello dear readers! After a while, Quartet Night had finally been updated! Thank you so much for your continuous support. This fanfic should have ended with the eleventh chapter but you guys gave me the push needed to make it last for 2 chapters more so thanks for being awesome! :D** **Don't forget to leave a love note/fave/follow :)**

 **I am not so sure how Quartet Night was formed based on the game/anime even though I played Reiji's route on ASAS. This was just my own imagination.**

 **Oh and konnichiwa = hi/hello, oyasumi = goodnight, minna = everyone, and karaage = deep fried meat (usually chicken)**

 **Here's a short preview on the next chapter:**

 _"I have something to ask you." The shorter of the two began._

 _"Ask away."_

 _"Who's Aine?"_

 **Oho...what's gonna happen next? Stay tuned~**


	13. Chapter 12

It had been a long day for Camus, well, not that it was any different from the past few days. After work, he would either visit the hospital or buy sweets and pastries from a café he liked granted that the royal had ample time. Today was one of the days where he did both since his job finished early and as of the moment, Camus was found walking along the hallway of the Master Course dormitory. He expected to have his alone time since Cecil was still at work. Pie, tea, and a good novel sounded like a splendid idea although sinking his teeth into the slice of apple pie he bought had to wait since he still had to prepare his beverage. It was usually Cecil's job but the black-haired teen wasn't present right now.

Upon reaching his shared room with his kouhai, Camus wasted no time preparing the table. He contemplated on making tea from scratch but he was tired and ended up using the premade one. Once everything was set, the blond royal sat and read a book of his liking. He was about to take a bite out of the much awaited apple pie when someone knocked on the door. Camus groaned. Who could that possible be to ruin his moment? As far as he knew, everyone had jobs to attend to this evening but it seemed like not everyone was busy. With a huff, Camus told the person on the other side to enter and the blond was fairly surprised once he knew who it was.

"What do you need, Kurusu?" The tall male inquired. "This better be important."

"It is." Syo said in a serious manner.

Camus motioned the other to join him. Seconds of silence passed before Camus spoke.

"What brings you here?" The Count said and took a sip of his tea. He found it very unlikely for the other to engage in a conversation with him. "Well?"

"I have something to ask you." The shorter of the two began.

"Ask away."

"Who's Aine?"

That was unexpected. Of all questions, Camus did not see this one coming. Could the younger boy possibly mean the very person Camus was thinking?

The Count wanted to confirm. "Aine….Kisaragi?"

Syo nodded and instead of an answer, the violinist received a question.

"How did you know that name?" The icy Count asked.

"This morning, I was helping Otoya clean their room since Tokiya and Reiji-sempai weren't around. I was fixing Reiji-sempai's things when I stumbled across a photo album under the sofa. I picked it up and a photo fell. It was someone named Aine Kisaragi." Syo explained.

Camus raised a brow. "And what business do you have with him?"

"What is Ai's relation to that guy? Why does he look like him?" Syo continued.

"That is not your concern."

"Yes it is!" The violinist exclaimed. "I know who Ai really is! I don't know if the rest of you knew, but – "

"Mikaze is an android." Camus intervened. "Among Quartet Night, I am the only one who knows what Mikaze truly is, and Mikaze himself of course. How about Starish?"

"Just me, Natsuki, and Nanami." Syo replied.

"Good. It should stay that way." The Count began and sipped his tea. Such information should be kept quiet. God forbid that it would reach the unsuspecting others especially Reiji.

"Camus-sempai, you haven't answered my question yet." The shorter of the two commented.

"Aine Kisaragi…he used to be a brilliant idol. If anything, he was one of the best. And also, he is Kotobuki's bestfriend."

"What happened to him?" Syo asked.

"He tried to kill himself."

The fedora-lover was taken aback. "N-Nani!? Why? Why would he do that!?"

"Who knows?"

"Well….did he?"

"His attempt failed although he did manage to get himself into a coma. Until now, he's not awake." Camus replied.

"It must've taken a toll on Reiji-sempai, huh?" The munchkin commented.

Damn right he was! Camus knew too well the sadness and guilt his fellow bandmate felt. No one else knew about the whole Aine situation except him therefore the royal involuntarily became Reiji's confidant. Plus, Camus knew something that Reiji didn't and for now, it was of upmost importance that this knowledge would not reach the brunet.

"Kurusu, can I trust you with something?" The royal began. The other seemed reliable enough and Ai was his sempai so the short male might as well know.

"Anything."

"You asked the relation of your senior to Kisaragi, correct? I shall tell you, provided that you must _**never**_ tell a soul! This will remain between the two of us!" Camus boomed.

Syo nodded. "I'd take it with me to my grave."

"Very well. Mikaze is an android built to portray the perfect idol, however, that is not the entire reason why. He was designed by Kisaragi's uncle in order to awaken the other from his coma. From looks to voice, Mikaze is a perfect copy of Kisaragi and he is to live the slumbering idol's life."

Cue Syo's shock. " **WHAT!?** "

The Count glared at him. "Hush, fool! Keep your voice down!" Camus cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Mikaze was built in order to wake Kisaragi. Those two are connected in some way. Everything that Mikaze experienced bounces back to the other. Kisaragi's uncle hoped to show his nephew the wonders of being an idol and that life isn't such a hellhole through Mikaze. I couldn't exactly say if any progress was made though."

"That's a lot to take in." Syo muttered. "Camus-sempai, how do you know all of these?"

Camus sighed. This was going to be a long night.

"Back when Quartet Night was newly formed, Kotobuki asked me to go with him to a house by the sea and that was when I knew all about Aine Kisaragi. Well, more than I should have."

* * *

"Myu-chan! Myu-chan!"

The idol in question turned to glare at the person who called him with such a childish nickname. The quartet had just finished practicing their dance steps and they were drained of their energy. At least that was what Camus thought until a certain loud brunet went prancing towards him. Camus swore that the eldest must be taking coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for him to stay so annoyingly alive.

"What is it, you peasant?"

"Join me on an adventure?" The older male said with sparkles in his eyes.

Camus straight-out rejected him. "No."

"Aww…pretty please?"

"I do not engage with commoners like you."

"C'mon! It'll be fun!"

Camus huffed. "How about Kurosaki or Mikaze? Why don't you go bother them instead?"

"Ran-Ran went away right after practice and Ai-Ai said he had a photo shoot." Reiji explained and pleaded once more. "So _pleeeaase_ go with me!"

Seeing that this could last the whole day, Camus had no choice but to concede with the other's request. Reiji seemed pretty damn persistent and any attempt on escaping the man was futile so the best and only option was to heed Reiji's favour and hope that it would be over soon.

"Fine! But do not expect for me to give in to your requests so easily in the future! It will be just this once, you commoner!" The earl boomed.

Reiji seemed overjoyed. "Yahoo! Let's go then!"

It was a long and quiet ride going to their destination. Well, quiet in the sense that Camus said not a word and muted Reiji's ramblings. It was too late for him to back out unless he dared getting out of the moving car. Camus mentally calculated his chances of survival should he resort to drastic measures and concluded that it would take some sort of miracle for him to escape unscathed! He would not risk his pristine appearance – he was an idol and a royal, not an action star, so he had to endure the trip. Besides, his bandmate seemed to have shut up.

Now was his chance to ask. "May I know where are you taking me?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Reiji exclaimed and drove to the left. "We're visiting an old friend of mine!"

Camus frowned. "Is he just as loud and obnoxious as you?"

"Nope! He's completely different! In fact, he's a lot….quieter."

Camus glanced at his companion. Reiji's aura had changed into a gloomy one and his grey eyes held sadness which was a first for the Count to see. The brunet actually looked… _depressed_. The blond decided not to pry and looked at the passing sceneries instead. It felt strange to see someone who was usually cheerful to suddenly be the opposite. Reiji's constant buffoonery might actually be masking his true emotions.

After an hour or so, they finally arrived at a house by the sea. Reiji rang the doorbell and they were greeted by a man wearing glasses and a lab coat.

"Hiya professor!"

"Reiji! What a pleasant surprise! Is he your friend?"

The brunet nodded. "Yup! He's also my bandmate! Professor, this is Camus or Myu-chan as what I would like to call him. Myu-chan, meet the professor! He's the uncle of my good friend!"

"How do you do? It's nice to meet you, professor." The Count said politely, temporarily using his facade.

The older male beamed. "Likewise, Camus-san! Please come in!"

The two idols were invited inside and were now having biscuits and tea in the living room.

"It's good to see you enjoying your career, Reiji." The professor began.

Aforementioned male chuckled. "No use mopping over the bad stuff."

Throughout the conversation, Camus remained silent unless asked by the owner of the house. He was honestly intrigued by the eldest member of the band ever since the brunet had a sudden change of atmosphere. Come to think of it, Reiji never talked about his past despite being a huge blabbermouth. Camus hasn't seen the friend whose name Reiji didn't mentioned.

"By the way, is Camus-san aware of…you know?" The professor stated which caught the Count's attention.

Reiji sheepishly scratched his head. "Eh, no. I haven't told him yet."

The earl of Permafrost raised a brow. "What is it that I need to know?"

Reiji got up and motioned his bandmate to follow. Curious and slightly suspicious, Camus went with Reiji who led them to a room downstairs.

"What is the meaning of this, Kotobuki?" The Count demanded.

"You'll see."

Reiji opened the door and revealed a white room with machines and scientific paraphernalia. At the center was a neatly-made bed which Reiji approached with Camus following closely. The blond royal raised his brows upon seeing the figure lying on the bed.

"Mikaze?" The Count thought aloud.

"No…although I thought he was Ai-Ai when I first saw the kid." Reiji began. "Myu-chan, this is the friend I was talking about."

"What's his name?"

"Aine. Aine Kisaragi."

"What happened to him?"

"He tried to kill himself." Reiji replied. "He failed though and fell into a coma instead."

Camus observed the sleeping male. It was like he was just looking at the youngest member of the band but according to Reiji, this was a guy named Aine.

"He was…such an amazing person. I…I don't understand why he would…why he would do such a thing." The brunet continued, his voice starting to crack. "But I guess it's my fault…I couldn't be there for him when he needed me most."

Reiji went on with his mumblings. He temporarily forgot the presence of Camus, who was quite speechless at the sight he just witnessed. Although it was not his business, the Count couldn't help but wonder who on earth was Aine and what was he like?

"You might want to leave him be, Camus-san."

If he weren't so composed, Camus might have jumped out of fright when the professor suddenly appeared beside him. The Count must be so caught up with his thoughts that he did not notice the other man enter the room. Without further ado, the duo left Reiji alone with the sleeping cyanette and went back to the living room.

"Aine was Reiji's bestfriend. They've been through a lot together back when they were still students of Saotome Gakuen." The professor explained as he poured his guest a cup of tea. "Actually, they were four in a group but Reiji was closest to Aine."

"I see. If you don't mind me asking, why did your nephew commit such act?"

"I wish I had an answer to give. Aine never said anything nor have I asked. It was too late for me to realize...if I had to guess, it could be that he lost reason continuing his career. The stress was taking a toll on Aine – that I noticed, but I never knew how affected he was. I'm a horrible relative for not knowing…I was terrified when I saw him falling deep into the ocean. Even if I did manage to save him from drowning himself, I couldn't help but think what I could have done to prevent this from happening." The professor said regretfully. "I understand how Reiji felt although the boy got it worse."

The earl of Permafrost took a sip of his tea. "Please do tell."

"Aine tried to call Reiji for help but the boy was busy with his audition. News got out and everyone blamed Reiji for what happened to my nephew. The media tarnished his image and even his friends thought badly of him. Only a few people took his side, myself included. You might think that I should be angry at him, but it wasn't his fault. Those were dark days for Reiji. I'm surprised he got back into singing! It had always been his dream to sing together with Aine but given the events that took place, he stopped with the songs and settled for other idol work instead. Until now, he still blames himself for what happened to Aine."

With nothing to say, Camus finished his warm beverage. He never gave a single fuck about his brown-haired companion – Camus honestly thought of Reiji as nothing more than an irritant to his day – until the Count learned of what the other had undergone. It clearly left a negative impact on Reiji's life yet the brunet chose to be an annoying ball of sunshine. When he thought about it, Camus wondered if Reiji ever got tired of being so optimistic all the time. After all that happened to him, Reiji couldn't possibly just move on with his life – his comatose bestfriend served as constant reminder of what he had done, or rather, what he hadn't.

"To the public eye, Reiji looks like he's got no problems. It's what he does as an idol. I hope he goes back to the way he was before." The professor exclaimed and turned to face Camus. "You're his friend, right? Please look after him."

' _Friend…?'_

Due to his training and status in Permafrost, Camus wasn't so accustomed to engaging with commoners, let alone be friends with one. The royal was never very friendly anyway since his job was to be the queen's knight; friendship was the last of his priorities.

…

Or was it? He understood the importance of building rapport as an idol hence his two-facedness but to have a meaningful connection with a person he could actually depend on…was it even possible?

…

That sounded like a ridiculous idea. Camus had no need for personal relationships!

Nevertheless, the Count forced a smile. "Of course."

The duo bid the professor goodbye and went back to the dormitory. Camus' treatment towards Reiji hasn't changed – he was still the ice cold royal that he had always been – which was fine with the older male, but what the brunet didn't know was that Camus had secretly researched about Aine. During his free time, the tall blond would either access the net or use periodicals to gain any information on the cyanette. He saw videos of Aine and the earl was quite impressed with the other's performance as an idol. The cyan-haired male was indeed brilliant and the epitome of idol perfection hence it only intrigued Camus even more. Why would someone who has it all try to take away his life?

Furthermore, the longer he searched, the more he noticed the similarities of Aine with his fellow bandmate Ai. From voice to looks, they were identical. Camus wondered if those two were related by any chance.

' _Perhaps Kisaragi's uncle has an answer.'_ Camus thought. _'It wouldn't hurt to ask.'_

The blond royal closed the laptop he was using and checked the time. He sighed and went to bed.

It was past midnight already.

Next day came and Camus immediately went to the professor's house right after practice. He wasn't so concerned about Reiji or transportation since Camus called a limo service and Reiji was to appear as a special guest on a show ergo the brunet had no chance of visiting the professor today.

The Count arrived at his destination and rang the doorbell. He expected for the older man to answer therefore it served as a shock when the door was opened by his bandmate.

"Mikaze?"

Aforementioned teen looked at him blankly. "Ah, Camus…according to my data, you are here to see the professor."

"Yes. Where is he?"

"He is currently working. He will only take 10 minutes though. Please, come in."

The two idols sat at the living room. Camus had to admit that he never really had a conversation with Ai unless it involved idol work. Deciding to break the silence, Camus spoke.

"What brought you here, Mikaze? Do you know the man?"

The cyanette nodded. "Yes. I go here every other day or when I'm not busy."

' _Does that mean he and Kotobuki had already met? And does he know of Kisaragi?'_ The Count thought but before he could ask, the professor entered the scene.

"Camus-san? This is a surprise! Do you need anything?" The older man exclaimed.

"I have a question in mind and I believe that only you can answer it." Camus replied.

"Is that so? Then ask away!" The professor began.

"Before I do, I would like to know why Mikaze is here. Does he know about your nephew, Aine?"

Suddenly, a strange noise vibrated around the area. Camus quirked an eyebrow and discovered that the sound was coming from his bandmate who looked frozen on his seat.

What happened next was a bit too bizarre for Camus to witness.

Ai's cyan eyes went wide and showed a honeycomb pattern before it was replaced by a series of numbers and symbols. It looked like codes one could see in a computer or any device that was malfunctioning.

The professor sighed. "Ai, shut down."

"Command received. Preparing to shut down." The cyanette said robotically. "Shutting down."

The machine-like noise then disappeared just as Ai closed his eyes.

There was a moment of silence before the professor spoke.

"I suppose I have no choice but to let you in a little secret." He began.

"I suppose you have to."

The older man chuckled. "I'm guessing your question would be why Ai looks like Aine, am I correct?"

Camus nodded his head. "Yes. Tell me all that I need to know."

It was a long conversation. The professor explained that Ai was in fact an A.I and he was built in order to awaken Aine. The two cyanettes were connected thus everything Ai felt and saw was experienced by Aine. The older male also added that Ai seemed to go haywire every time he was near the ocean which was understandable considering Aine's circumstance.

"It's the least I can do." The professor began. "I couldn't save my nephew from falling into the state he's in, but I could try to wake him up. I want him to know how wonderful life is and how great it was to be an idol. Aine loved singing. One of the reasons why I designed Ai to look like him so it would feel like Aine himself was the one singing the songs. I believe that Ai can wake up my nephew….someday."

"I see. Is Kotobuki aware of this?" The Count asked.

"Heavens no! It would ruin him if he did! He won't be able to handle this yet." The professor exclaimed. "I will have to reboot Ai. Camus-san, promise me that no one will ever know about what happened today, most especially Reiji."

…

"Of course, professor. You have my word."

* * *

Camus looked at his plate and noticed the uneaten slice of apple pie. He should have finished it a long time ago yet this unexpected turn of events enabled him to do so. His companion seemed to be lost for words, which was understandable especially with such sudden and sensitive information. Syo's sempai was involved and even though he and Ai argued a lot, the short male still respected the other and to some degree, cared for the cyanette.

"Anything else you'd like to know, Kurusu?" Camus began thus bringing his junior back to his senses.

"Camus-sempai, you said that Ai was built to wake up Aine, right?" The violinist asked.

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well, I was thinking what would happen if this Aine guy would wake up? Will…will Ai be taken away?"

…

"I wonder the same thing." Camus replied.

The room was dead silent and Syo planned to leave until his cellphone rang.

"Excuse me." The short blond said before answering the caller. "Hello?"

It was Haruka and she sounded frantic.

" _Syo-kun! Mikaze-sempai is – !"_

* * *

 **According to the game reviews I've read, Camus is aware of Ai's true nature and he knows about Aine as well. Camus and the professor supposedly do not know each other, or at least that was what Reiji thought.**

 **Hello dear readers! Here is by far the longest chapter I've ever written! I apologize if Camus seems OOC but he is essential in the story especially since he knows about Aine.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for your continuous support, my dear readers! I wasn't able to reply to all your comments/reviews but rest assure that I'm glad to have read them :) Until the next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13

In the eyes of many, he was perfection.

He did everything flawlessly and precisely; he never missed out a single detail in work and he surpassed every expectation others had on him. No one could ever exceed his level of idol perfection. Moreover, he was considered pure and untouched – a beauty untainted – yet underneath his angel face was a demon mentor as described by his kouhais. Even so, he was well-respected and highly looked upon.

He was Ai Mikaze.

"A bouquet of lilacs, please." The cyanette said once he finally decided on the type of flora. He was never one to buy flowers – he found it strange how people would give something that would someday wilt and die to those dear to them, but then again, many things in the world weren't immortal. Someday soon, everything and everyone would fade away like an old polaroid photo.

"My, my…aren't you a sweetheart? Whoever this lady is must be very lucky!" The salesperson exclaimed.

Ai could only smile – he was programmed to – before thanking the elderly woman and making his way to a cab. He wasn't concerned with any ambush from his fans since he wore a clever disguise; being discovered by many unknown individuals was the least of his concerns. As of the moment, what filled his mind was the image of a certain brown-haired idol tucked comfortably between clean hospital sheets.

' _That idiot.'_ Ai thought as he stared at the passing sceneries. _'He drank too much.'_

The cyanette sighed. He'd been using all of his free time visiting his bandmate and that itself was incomprehensible. Normally, Ai wouldn't bat an eye in ditching his older companion. In fact, he couldn't care less if Reiji migrated to another country! However, these past few days had been different. Ai felt like he was hanging on the edge upon knowing his friend's condition, so much that he couldn't bear to leave Reiji's side thus Ai ended up staying the night at the hospital. The cyanette was even awake two nights ago just to watch over the eldest idol of the group. It was so unlike him to act so…. _concerned_ for another! Ai was baffled; he was acting like a human now – a human capable of _feeling_!

He wasn't supposed to feel. The only ability Ai Mikaze could not have was that because emotions weren't a part of his program. If anyone said otherwise, well those emotions weren't his.

He was not human.

…

He had known. He had always known since the beginning. The cyanette was nothing more than pieces of technology combined together to create the individual dubbed as the perfect idol. Heck, that title didn't even belong to him! The one true epitome of idol perfection was a man named Aine Kisaragi and that man was being taken care of by his uncle after his failed suicide attempt. Aine was a brilliant idol and he was often praised for his mind-blowing and flawless performances, so it served as a big shock when word got out that he fell into a coma and that he lost reason for living. News and media people were all over any affiliates of Aine and it was one of the most stressful moments for the cyanette's uncle and of course, for Reiji. Ai did not ask a lot of detail from the professor and even if he did, the cyanette would feel a pain in his chest although that pain was Aine's. After the idol went into a coma, his uncle, the professor, worked on a project that would hopefully awaken his nephew. The professor created an artificial intelligence that was based off Aine from looks to voice. This A.I, the mysterious idol, became a phenomenon during his debut and instantly took the media by storm thus burying the Aine incident until it was barely remembered.

Ai's existence seemed to have erased the face of Aine despite him looking exactly like the latter. It was even more ironic that Ai only existed in order to wake up the true perfect idol from what looked like an eternal slumber. As mentioned, Ai was nothing more than pieces of technology combined together and like any other machine, he could be taken and could fall apart.

He knew what he was and what he could never be. _Human_.

A living, breathing being that could feel all sorts of emotions – emotions he could call his instead of someone else's. Ai was connected to Aine and those short outbursts of feelings belonged to the latter so it was nothing out of the ordinary for the A.I to "feel" certain emotions due to his bond to Aine. Unlike Ai, Aine was human, albeit comatose, but human nonetheless. He could laugh at his own will, smile at his own will, cry at his own will, and many other actions he chose to.

 _A choice_.

It was something Ai wanted to have. Sure he could act on his own accord yet he was programmed to do things even if he didn't want to. For instance, he frowned so many times in his head when asked what he deemed were ridiculous questions because apparently, he could only smile and answer politely in reality. Furthermore, he could not be tired or hungered easily since he was a machine so he could never fully relate to the exhaustion others felt. He couldn't appreciate whenever they would exclaim how tasty the food was or how refreshing water was after practice. Ai could not truly comprehend those simple joys of humans; instead, he smiled and pretended to be fascinated with whatever he was told. He had to.

Ai arrived at his destination: the hospital. Taking the bouquet with him, the cyanette entered the establishment and went inside an elevator which went up to the 3rd floor of the building. The teen told his self several times that he need not have to do this yet somewhere at the back of his head was a voice which compelled him to. It could be Aine who wanted to look after his bestfriend. After all, he and Reiji promised each other such.

' _Or could it be…that I chose to see him?'_ Ai thought. He stopped in front of his fellow bandmate's room to contemplate on this sudden idea.

The cyanette placed a hand on his chest. _'But why? Why?'_

Ai opened the door with muddled thoughts. Emotions had always been complex for him to grasp, more so if it was _him_ who felt something and _not_ Aine. It didn't even make sense for Ai since he was an android and not something –

 _Real_.

He wanted to be real. He wanted to feel. He wanted to _exist_. He didn't want to experience emotions of someone else or to live the life for and of another.

He wanted to be his own person.

Ai was overheating. He looked at the sleeping figure and realized something which had always been there.

He had a friend and the experience they went through made him feel more alive.

' _Reiji Kotobuki…he's always so cheerful…so full of life…and he…he's my…'_

 _Friend._

After all this time, Ai finally wondered what would happen to him once Aine wakes up.

Would he still be needed?

"No," The cyanette spoke. "I still want to live a little longer."

His vision became blurry and his system was wildly malfunctioning. He was shutting down, but all he could think about was how he wanted to live.

' _I don't want to end. Not yet.'_

The bouquet of lilacs never made it to the vase for it fell on the floor, alongside the cyan-haired idol.

* * *

 **DUM DUM DUM! This story had finally been updated and _this_ was the result! Ohoho...I wonder what happens next? Stay tune for the last chapter of this fanfiction!**

 **(Seriously, the ending was made _waaay_ before this one since this story was originally going to end two chapters ago but nah, I like writing this one.) **

**Anyway, I would just like to express my heartfelt gratitude towards every one of you who continued to support me and my stories despite my absence/hiatus. I want you, my dear reader, to know how happy I am of your existence in this world and if anyone tries to tell you any different, they lyin' :P**

 **I haven't watched season 3 of UtaPri yet because I got... _very_ preoccupied with college...and OHSHC and Haikyuu (I'm stuck in Haikyuu hell btw hahaha save me). **

**Until the next update~!**

 **PS: lilacs = ?**


	15. Chapter 14

"It's nice here."

Two idols were found sitting on the sandy shore where the sparkling blue waves tickled their toes. Birds flew across the horizon where the sun was slowly setting thus painting parts of the water red and gold. Soon, the stars would appear on the heavens above and the moon would take its place at night.

"Don't you think it's tragic though?"

Reiji turned to his companion. "What made you say so?"

"As beautiful as things are, it's kind of tragic that you have to say goodbye to day and night. You have to wait hours until night comes and in the process of doing so, you get to enjoy the day…yet you know it'll disappear soon. Same goes for the night. It's like you have to lose one in order to have the other and the cycle goes on. Plus, what if you won't get to see the sun or the moon the next time?"

"You're overthinking things, Aine."

"Life is uncertain." Said the cyanette. "What if one day, I'll wake up with no memory of you?"

"I'll treat you the same until I'm your bestfriend again!" Reiji exclaimed cheerfully. "I'll stay by your side no matter what!"

Aine smiled genuinely at the other idol. "Thank you, Reiji. Take care of Ai for me, will you? Let him live his life to the fullest."

He then stood up and proceeded to walk towards the sea.

"W-Wait! Where are you going? And how do you know Ai-Ai?" The startled sempai asked.

"I just know." Aine replied as the gentle breeze tickled his face. "Perhaps someday, our paths will cross again, but for now, it's goodbye."

Reiji hastily got up. "What do you mean by that? Aine, what are you trying to say?"

"It's nice to see you again, Reiji. I'm glad to have spent this time with you, even for just a little while." The cyan-haired idol exclaimed. "Do me a favour and wake up, okay? A lot of people are waiting for you."

Reiji started to run after his friend but Aine seemed unreachable. "Aine, wait!"

Aine stopped and turned to face Reiji. He gave the brunet one last smile.

 _Until we meet again_.

* * *

Grey eyes fluttered open to the rays of the sun which passed through the glass window. The first thing Reiji noticed was a mask attached to his face and other contraptions to note his vital signs. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his own room and there was a vase full of lilacs, and third,

"You're finally awake."

Reiji spun to where the source of the sound and saw his fellow Quartet Night, Camus, having a cup of tea and biscuits.

"M-Myu-chan? What happened? Where am I?" The confused brunet asked.

Just then, the door opened and in came the silver-haired rocker of the group. Upon closer inspection, Ranmaru's eyes widened with surprise and a small smile was visible until his usual frown took over.

"About time you got up." The rocker began.

"Didn't anyone tell you to knock?" Camus remarked but was ignored.

"Ran-Ran! You're here!" Reiji exclaimed then paused, "Where is here?"

"You're in the hospital, baka." Ranmaru replied.

"Nani!? H-Hospital!? Why?"

"You were in a coma for a month." The Count answered.

"I – _coma_!?" The brunet shrieked. "How did that happen!?"

Ranmaru scoffed. "You seriously don't know?"

With the shook of his head, Camus knew he had to fill in the details for the eldest of the group.

"The night we had that conversation, I was heading to my room when I heard a noise which sounded like something falling down the stairs. I went to identify what it was and saw you lying unconscious on the floor. At first, I thought I could just wake you up – "

"By kicking you lightly on the gut." Ranmaru cut with a smirk.

"Fool! Do not interrupt me!" Camus exclaimed then cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I thought I could just wake you up but you weren't giving any response. You must've hit your head on something hard since you were out cold until the next morning."

"Wait…you just left me where I was!?" Reiji cried out and produced fake tears. "So mean, Myu-chan!"

"No I did not! Be grateful we called an ambulance! Otherwise, you would have just rotted on the spot!" The Count of Permafrost boomed. "That said, no more drinking for you!"

The brown-haired sempai grinned sheepishly. _'So it was all a dream?'_ Somehow, Reiji was relieved that it was all in his mind and he was glad to be in this reality. He wouldn't trade his bandmates and kouhais for anything. Speaking of kouhais, the two of them burst through the door and a certain red-head tackled the brunet with a hug.

"Rei-chan! You're awake! I'm so glad!" Otoya exclaimed while trying his best not to shed tears in front of his senior.

"Otoya…be more careful! He just woke up!" Tokiya chided. He faced his sempai and smiled the slightest. "Welcome back, Kotobuki-sempai."

Reiji was moved upon seeing his amazing kouhais. "Otoyan, Toki…I miss you so much!"

"Is he really up?" Came another voice. The rest of Starish and their composer entered the scene. All of them had expressions of joy and relief.

"Good to have you back, Rei-chan." Ren began.

"I'm glad you're awake, Kotobuki-sempai." Haruka supplied.

"The muses are so kind to have answered our prayers!" Cecil exclaimed as he did the Agnadance.

"This calls for a celebration! I will bake Piyo-chan cookies for everyone!" Natsuki cheered to which Syo paled.

"D-Don't trouble yourself! Masato will take care of it!" Syo sputtered. "Right, Masato?"

The pianist nodded his head. "Hai. I will not allow any more souls to be sent to this establishment."

The group had a good laugh when Reiji realized something – or rather, someone – was missing.

"Where's Ai-Ai?" The brunet asked.

The rest looked at each other until one of the cyanette's kouhais spoke up.

"He's not here." Syo began.

Immediately, a sense of panic shot through his nerves.

"Nani? Why? Did something happen to him?" Reiji asked anxiously.

"Whoa, relax Rei-chan." Ren said, taking note of his senior's panicked expression.

"We left him back at the dorm." Tokiya explained.

"Yeah he's rechar – er, recovering." Syo added.

The brunet raised an eyebrow, unaccustomed to his bandmate being tired. "Eh?"

"Rei-chan, he was up for three nights straight." Otoya answered. "He even used all of his breaks to look after you."

"Ai-chan was the one who watched over you the moment you were brought to the hospital. I've never seen him so worried." Natsuki said with a smile.

"We told him we could take turns but he refused to leave the first few days." Ranmaru commented.

"It was only until last night that he was here though. Mikaze collapsed due to the lack of sleep so I called his kouhais to bring him back to the Master Course dormitory." Camus explained.

"With much trouble, might I add!" Syo exclaimed. "He kept saying he was fine but does he think I'm stupid!? Tch, he could black out again!"

"Mikaze-sempai really cares for you." Haruka added while smiling.

Reiji was speechless. Ai did that for him? It was an astonishing discovery! His youngest bandmate never cared about anything or anyone to the extent where the cyanette would stay up for days. It wasn't like him at all! The maracas-sempai never thought that the other would actually give a damn but this proved otherwise. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was another person taking care of him. It almost felt like someone else, someone like –

"Aine." Reiji muttered.

"Rei-chan? Something wrong?" Otoya inquired. "You're spacing out."

Reiji came back to his senses and flashed a reassuring grin. He told everyone that he was okay for he knew that someone somewhere had always been by his side.

 _Watch over me and I'll watch over you. That's a promise._

Days passed before Reiji was released from the hospital. Of course, things were still the same. He still had idol work to do and probably more to come. His kouhais were still doing great, same goes for the rest of Starish. Quartet Night had several jobs to do which was nothing new. Ranmaru complained about the amount of work he had to sort out, Camus pretended not to hear the angry rocker, and Ai typed away on his laptop. As usual, Reiji would attempt to bring some optimism to the group and he would get the same responses:

"Shut up."

"Silence, you fool."

"Please be quiet."

Nothing much had changed and on his days off, like now, Reiji could still be found driving towards a house by the sea. He'd get out of his green car, ring the doorbell, and wait until it was opened by a familiar face.

"Reiji! It's been a while since you last visited!" The professor exclaimed and let the boy in.

"Well, a lot of things happened." Reiji said sheepishly, silently hoping that the professor knew nothing about his coma. "There weren't any sunflowers so I bought these instead."

"I'm sure he'll like it nonetheless." The older male stated.

Reiji went inside his friend's room and placed the blue camellias in a vase. Then, he took his place right next to the sleeping cyanette. Like always, he held the other's hand and smiled.

"Hey, Aine…I had a dream about you. I was back in the past. Kei and Hibiki were there too! It was fun being with you guys and I miss hanging out, but…" Reiji bit his lip before continuing. "I don't think I belong in that reality. As much as I wanted you to stay, I just knew that you couldn't without risking someone else. Actually, a lot of someones. I never met Quartet Night and my kouhais…Otoyan was a fucking pizza delivery boy! And Ai…I couldn't live with the events that happened."

A tear rolled down grey eyes as Reiji recalled the scenarios which played in his mind while he was in the hospital. At first, he thought saving Aine was all he wanted but as things progressed, the brunet knew what mattered most to him.

And that was living in the reality he was now in.

"In the dream, you told me that our paths will cross again someday. Until that day comes, I'll continue to watch over you and," Reiji gave his friend's hand a squeeze. "I forgive you."

The past used to bother him but now, there was enlightenment. True that all he could do was hope and wait, yet Reiji wouldn't want it any other way. With one last glance, Reiji walked out of the room smiling. He thanked the professor before he drove back to the Master Course dormitory. On the way back, he passed-by a coffee shop where he saw two familiar faces and they were no other than Kei and Hibiki. The two seemed to be doing okay and even though Reiji wanted to join them, he knew he couldn't for they would only cause a scene. Things were different regarding their friendship but that was okay.

After all, he was Reiji Kotobuki and he has the best set of people he considered close to family.

"I'm back and I brought food!" Reiji cheered.

"Is there any meat?" Ranmaru asked and was pleased once Reiji said yes. "Good. I'm starving."

"I hope you didn't forget the cake I ordered." Camus added.

"Why would I? Here you go, Myu-chan!" The brunet chimed and passed a box of chocolate cake to the Count.

"Do you always arrive this late?"

Reiji turned his attention to the youngest of the group.

"Oh, Ai-Ai! Were you worried?" The older teased. "I brought you marine jelly!"

Instead of giving an offhand remark, Ai simply switched his focus to something else.

The maracas-sempai chuckled before he called the other. "Ai-Ai."

"What?"

Reiji smiled gently. "Thank you."

At that moment, Reiji could have sworn he was looking into the surprised eyes of another cyanette. It was a quick one, but there was a flash of joy and gratitude in those cyan orbs. Just as how fast it showed, those emotions disappeared too soon as Ai reverted back to his usual stoic self. It was enough for Reiji though and he had a good feeling about the days to come.

For somewhere, another pair of cyan eyes finally opened after years of deep slumber.

* * *

It had been a year since the incident of Reiji falling down the stairs. Despite the much appreciated concern from his kouhais and bandmates, Reiji went on with his daily routine as if nothing drastic ever happened. Work had been plentiful especially with the ones that were put on hold due to his leave so the clown sempai busied himself with his various jobs hence it served as a reward once he got a much deserved break. It was one of those days where Reiji found himself sitting on a park bench – incognito of course! – under a shady tree with the sun shining brightly in the bright blue sky. The brunet had a strong feeling that today was going to be a great day so Reiji decided to enjoy the day the way it was.

' _It's too bad Otoyan and Toki have work today.'_ The maracas idol thought. _'I would've brought them with me.'_

Reiji breathed out a sigh of content. He basked in the sun's light and he was so caught up in his relaxed state that he failed to notice the presence of another person sitting beside him.

"Wonderful weather, huh?" The stranger said.

Without moving, Reiji replied, "Yeah."

It was silent for a moment until the stranger spoke again.

"You must be free for today with that disposition of yours. Being an idol must be quite tiring."

At that moment, Reiji twisted his neck to the side and encountered an unexpected someone.

The eldest of Quartet Night nearly choked on air. "K-Kei!?"

Aforementioned male crossed his arms. "You sound like you're shocked to see me."

"Of course I am! It's weird for you to talk to me without hurling any insult…actually, you wouldn't talk to me at all!" The brunet exclaimed.

"People change." Kei began which caught Reiji off-guard. "I've done a lot of thinking and I came to accept some facts. I know I may never see Aine again nor know his reasons for his attempted suicide, but I'm certain that pinning all that blame on you was wrong."

The air between the two changed from a fresh breeze to a warm and open one – the kind of atmosphere Reiji least expected from Kei and not that he was complaining.

"I was just so angry and disappointed with myself. I couldn't be the friend he needed. If I had known, I could've saved him. I definitely would." Kei turned to Reiji. "But he called you. Not me or Hibiki, but you."

"…"

"I guess I was just mad that…you were given the chance to save him…to play the hero…but no, and it wasn't your fault." Kei continued and looked at the brunet right in the eye. "I'm sure as hell that you would do everything and anything to stop Aine from jumping off that cliff. I know you would."

A strong sense of forgiveness surged through not only the brunet, but also through his companion. A ray of reconciliation finally managed to break through the walls built by years of loathe and regret.

Kei stood up and smiled the slightest. "Hibiki wanted to say the same thing but he's off directing. Oh, and if you happen to visit the professor, say hi to him for me."

Reiji grinned. "Will do!"

The other male waved goodbye and walked into the distance until his silhouette was no longer visible. The brunet sighed before he went to his little green car and drove down a path he knew too well. He stopped by a flower shop to purchase sunflowers and boy had it been a while since Reiji last bought flowers personally for Aine! Due to his piling workload, the clown sempai didn't have the time to go and visit his friend so he resorted to having the shop send flowers for him. He was overjoyed to visit after a long time.

Once he arrived, Reiji got out of the car and approached the professor's house while humming Quartet Night's latest single. The brunet hit the doorbell and waited. Seconds later and the door was still closed so the idol pressed the doorbell again.

' _Maybe he went to a convenience store.'_ Reiji thought after a minute passed and no one answered. In any case, the professor would be back in a jiffy if he did leave.

Deciding to wait in the car, the brunet walked along when something caught his eye. There was a figure near the coastline. Thinking it was the professor catching some air, he merrily made his way to where the other was. Reiji continued to approach the person until he got a clearer view. That was when he stopped. Sensing the brunet's presence, the other individual turned around and smiled.

"Hello, Reiji."

Right there and then, Reiji took a deep breath. He prayed this wasn't another strange dream or dimension for finally, the portrait in his mind where all the people he cared about – his kouhais, Starish, and Quartet Night – was completed with the addition of this person. With a grin as bright as the sun, Reiji gave his response.

"Hey, Aine. It's good to see you again."

"Likewise."

The two males began to talk like it was only yesterday that they parted. This was one of the best days in the brunet's life.

After all, he was talking to a person near and dear to him only this time, it wasn't silence that answered him.

"Are those sunflowers for me?" The cyanette asked.

Reiji grinned sheepishly. "Yeah…hey, I had a dream about you!"

By the way Aine smiled, Reiji knew the other had an idea of what he was going to say. "Please, do tell."

It was all déjà vu for both of them with one thing different: they were no longer dreaming.

…

"Reiji?"

"Yeah?"

"It's nice to see you again."

Reiji could only return the smile Aine gave him. "Likewise."

 _ **The End.**_

* * *

 **QUARTET KNIGHT FINALLY ENDED!**

 **That said, I would like to thank everyone who supported me and this fanfic! As others had known, this was supposed to end two chapters ago yet thanks to everyone, I was motivated to extend this so yippee for you! Seriously, I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you dear readers. I want you to know (as always) that I greatly appreciate every message/review you gave whether it was just a smiley face or a paragraph of encouragement! Thank you so much! Special shout-out to Aichuu, for always giving me the best of luck! (love u so much dear!)**

 **To everyone, good luck with whatever you're dealing with right now :) Chin up lovelies~ you are amazing!**

 **Thank you once again ;)**

 **(I will reside in Haikyuu hell for now. I wrote a fanfic about it btw *cough*shameless self-promotion*cough*)**

 **See ya~! Thanks for reading!**


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